Standoff, shooting near Viola
VIOLA – A landowner known to have "strong anti-government attitudes“ surrendered after a daylong standoff with police Thursday, but not before an exchange of gunfire, deployment of tear gas and a fire in the man’s house, authorities said.
Officers tried to contact the man through the day, and when they tried again in the afternoon, they were fired upon and returned fire, as well as deploying tear gas, according to Darin Gudgeon, emergency management director for Richland County in southwestern Wisconsin.
As the operation was going on, a fire started in the home, and soon after that, 60-year-old Robert Bayliss surrendered and was taken into custody of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, said Gudgeon, who also is a deputy with the department. No one was injured.
The dispute had started four days earlier when some deputies tried to serve Bayliss with a lawsuit seeking to evict him for failure to pay property taxes back to 2001 on his home and 18 acres, County Corporation Counsel Benjamin Southwick said. The county took ownership of the land last November for the unpaid taxes, Southwick said.
Numerous shots from a rifle were fired at the officers who went to the property on Monday, Gudgeon said. On Thursday, SWAT officers used an armored vehicle to try to serve a search warrant and arrest warrants at a home, located two miles south of Viola.
Bayliss was known as „a person who had very strong anti-government attitudes and beliefs“ and who would carry a rifle and show it, Southwick said.
Bayliss faced a charge filed Thursday of intentionally pointing a firearm at a law enforcement officer. Frank said there could be other charges filed.
Apr 7, 2008 at 9:54 a.m.
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"The county took ownership of the land last November for the unpaid taxes, Southwick said." justsaynotomath--They did take the property, the old man was trespassing. Should he get to live there tax free? I sure do not want to cover his taxes. Pay property taxes or rent...there is a choice.
Apr 4, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.
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dvlwmn13,
I know very well how the job is done. And I can guarantee that if it happened here, there would have been some action taken much sooner than that.
They routinely train for situations like that.
Granted, there is time involved to put the plan into action, but three days? Come on.
'
Especially since they already knew, or had a pretty good idea what they were dealing with before they went there.
Apr 4, 2008 at 1:33 p.m.
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I hope they charge this nut-job with attempted homicide. He is lucky a sniper didnt pick him off in the mean time....it would have been justified.
Apr 4, 2008 at 12:05 p.m.
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"Property tax is b.s? Property tax is wrong?" Ummmm let me guess - those comments came from renters here. You have to pay your property taxes...all responsible landowners do. Perhaps he should have moved to a state which doesn't have the taxes Wisconsin does. Now we might have to use our "taxes" to support him in jail - nice.
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:59 a.m.
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WisconsinHeat- If they did not take the time to develope a worthy plan of attack it could have ended in wounded/dead officers or offender. they most likely had someone watching the house for those three days but for safety they took time and planned it out. Do you risk your life for others everyday at your job like cops do? If you don't then you do not know why or how the job is done! I for one am thankful to evry cop and deputy I know. Thanks for keeping us all SAFE!
Apr 4, 2008 at 4:37 a.m.
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Do you think that maybe Janet Reno is working in Richland County? Next thing you know, they'll be repatriating children to Cuba at gunpoint from Viola.
Apr 3, 2008 at 10:56 p.m.
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That's ridiculous.
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If it took them three days to "develop a plan" after officers were shot at, whoever was in charge should turn in their badge.
Apr 3, 2008 at 10:42 p.m.
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It's a shortened version of this wire story at the LaCrosse Tribune:
http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/...
As one may well deduce, the three-day delay was because after Monday's events, "Authorities then developed a plan to deal with the situation." There was probably some training and tactics involved.
The overall delays most likely reflect a series of legal notices and court hearings for eviction.
Apr 3, 2008 at 10 p.m.
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And then this too: "The county took ownership of the land last November for the unpaid taxes, Southwick said." Take ownership of a property way back in November and not try to remove the occupant until April? And then let him shoot at you on Monday and not go back until Thursday? I'm thinking we are missing some of this story.
Apr 3, 2008 at 9:20 p.m.
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"Numerous shots from a rifle were fired at the officers who went to the property on Monday"
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What the heck was going on that it took them three days to answer the threat?
What's wrong with this picture?
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