Man who fired shots at deputies pleads not guilty to charges
Photo 
Mark S. Beaver
ELKHORN — A La Grange Township man who fired at sheriff’s deputies Jan. 29 and was shot twice entered Monday not guilty pleas to all charges.
Mark S. Beaver, 48, is charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, intentionally pointing a firearm at a law enforcement officer and possession of a firearm while intoxicated. He faces more than 19 years in prison and $45,000 in fines.
Court documents claim Beaver was intoxicated when he attempted to kill himself and shoot at a police officer Jan. 29. A deputy fired back and hit Beaver, which resulted in Beaver spending more than two weeks at Froedtert Lutheran Memorial Hospital in Wauwatosa.
During court proceedings Monday, Beaver waived his right to a preliminary hearing and was bound over for trial. He is expected back in court June 25.
According to the criminal complaint:
Deputies from Walworth and Waukesha counties responded to a hang-up 911 call at a residence and found Beaver and the woman inside. Beaver was pointing the gun at his head.
The woman later left the house.
Deputies told Beaver to drop the weapon, and he repeatedly asked the deputies to shoot him. Beaver eventually lowered the weapon and fired one shot at a deputy.
Deputy Wayne Blanchard fired back.
Beaver later said he had several rounds of vodka and orange juice with the female he lived with in La Grange Township. Beaver and the woman told authorities he became upset when another man called the woman on the phone.
Beaver admitted shooting at deputies, though he wasn't sure why. He told authorities he may have been trying to get the deputies to “shoot him dead.”
Sep 17, 2010 at 2:30 a.m.
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I did not read anything in the article about the suspect failing a psych eval....... he was drunk, and he put emotion ahead of reason....plain and simple !!! until somebody shows proof that this guy is nuts (other than he himself claiming to be nuts), I have to believe he was just another drunk, who became jealous when his girlfriend received a phone call from another man.....
May 13, 2010 at 11:28 a.m.
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alcohol is not a defense but it is a depressant and the odds are good he would not have made the same choices if he was of clear mind, so its certainly a factor. punish him for his actions indeed but we need to remember that wont fix the problem.
May 13, 2010 at 11:10 a.m.
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Where in this article does in mention drug abuse. It states he had been drinking alcohol. This man belongs in prison for a long time. He could have killed a Police Officer. I suppose if the officer had killed the suspect, you would say that the guy was asking for help and the Police were wrong for killing him.
Alcohol is NOT a defense.
May 12, 2010 at 6:51 a.m.
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There's still a majority of people who would rather take the easy way out (and LOVE to see people fry) and send them off somewhere, never to be seen again.
May 11, 2010 at 5:49 p.m.
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agree. drug use/abuse should be a public health issue not a criminal one.
May 11, 2010 at 5:40 p.m.
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It's all political. People think that treating people for mental illness is letting them "get away" with their "crimes" and therefore being "too soft" on crime. It's all political. It would cost the state LESS money to treat individuals that commit crimes because of mental illnesses and there would be a HIGHER success rate and a LOWER chance that these individuals would do something like this again. If someone is suicidal, sending their life further down a spiral will NOT help them recover. THE END. Protect our citizens and our police officers by doing the RIGHT THING and not the politically popular thing!!!
May 11, 2010 at 5:35 p.m.
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This guy needs mental help and NOT criminal charges. That is what is wrong with this justice system. We are incarcerating people who commit crimes because of mental illnesses, and then, instead of treating the illness, we are COMPOUNDING the problem by throwing the people in jail and ruining their lives further with criminal charges. This guy was suicidal and CLEARLY not intending to hurt anyone but himself. HE was the only one hurt in the situation. NOW, I agree that someone COULD have gotten hurt, but charging him criminally is NOT going to fix the problem. TRUST ME!!!!
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