A 28-year-old Gillett man arrested Tuesday after a two-hour standoff with sheriff’s deputies in Wittenberg was transferred Wednesday afternoon from the county jail to a mental health facility, according to authorities.
Shawano County Sheriff Randy Wright said the man was undergoing a mental health assessment.
The incident initially reported as a robbery at the Wittenberg Shell station and McDonald’s, 413 N. Genesee St., began about 2 p.m. when the armed man entered the business and threatened law enforcement. He did not demand any money.
Wright said the man was apparently trying to provoke a confrontation with authorities.
“He wanted to have an incident with law enforcement,” Wright said.
The suspect permitted all individuals within the area to leave the building except a lone McDonald’s employee, whom he kept as a hostage for about an hour.
Wright said the employee — Jacob Kujawa, 26, of Wittenberg — handled the situation amazingly well.
“He was calm and cool,” Wright said, adding that Kujawa’s composure probably played a big part in bringing a peaceful end to the incident.
Kujawa was released just after 3 p.m. The suspect surrendered peacefully about 4 p.m. after talks with a Sheriff’s Department hostage negotiator.
Shawano County officials, with the assistance of the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, secured the area and closed U.S. Highway 45 for the duration of the incident.
Nearby Wittenberg-Birnamwood School District elementary and high schools went into lockdown for about 45 minutes as a precaution, according to school officials.
The case was still being reviewed by the Shawano County District Attorney’s Office late Wednesday. Charges were expected to be filed Thursday.
It is The Shawano Leader’s policy not to name suspects who have not been charged.
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