Tension ran high in an otherwise quiet Boscobel neighborhood on Friday, Jan. 17 when a call went over the scanner for a man with a rifle, barricaded in a home.
Boscobel Police Chief Jaden McCullick reported that the department received the report of a man, later identified as Bryant Matti, 32, of rural Eastman, barricaded in the home on the 1300 block of Elm Street, around 10 a.m.
Matti faces tenative charges of first-degree reckless injury, injury by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon, false imprisonment, criminal tresspass to a locked dwelling, and two counts of bail jumping.
Charges had not been filed as of Tuesday morning, according to court records.
The call came from Matti’s father, Richard Matti, who is a correctional officer at the Wisconsin Secure Program Facility. Bryant Matti called the prison from Richard’s house and asked his father to come home. When Richard got there he noticed that the front door had been kicked in and that Bryant was inside with a high caliber rifle. That’s when he left and called police, according to Police Chief Jaden McCullick, who was part of the negotiating team in a command post set up in the parking lot at Gasser’s True Value Hardware.
“We hated to take over their parking lot, but we didn’t want to set up in town or near the schools,” McCullick said.
Shortly after, police arrived on scene and immediately began calling for other area departments to come for assistance. All regular traffic calls were suspended from the airways on the county’s scanner channel. 37 minutes after the initial call, the Boscobel EMS was also paged to stand by at their shed “in case they’re needed for the situation,” noted the requesting officer on scene.
McCullick reported that law enforcement had received information as well that there was possibly a female subject inside.
The situation continued to escalate throughout the course of the day with more and more departments responding to the call.
After receiving the report, a perimeter was established and the residence and neighbors were notified to evacuate the area.
Meanwhile, Casey’s General Store was put under lock down as well as the Boscobel Area School District. Students were eventually released due to impending severe weather, however, those who typically walk home were strongly encouraged to bus or be picked up by family members as well as advised to avoid the situation.
During this time, in addition to departments from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Grant County Emergency Management, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Fennimore Police Department, South West Emergency Response Team, Dubuque Police Department, Dane County Tactical Response Team, Richland/Iowa/Grant Drug Task Force, Boscobel Fire Department, and Boscobel EMS all responded. Perhaps the most notable presence however was the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, as heavily armored Grant County S.W.A.T. Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle lumbered into Boscobel to stage with the other departments at Gassers True Value Hardware a few blocks away.
The day carried on as more officers trickled on to the scene. Many side streets remained closed until the situation came to a head later in the afternoon.
McCullick reported that once a perimeter was established, negotiations were made via telephone with Matti, inside the residence.
According to the report issued by the Boscobel Police Department through the course of the standoff, gun shots were heard from inside the residence which prompted law enforcement to make entry.
Once inside, law enforcement located an unidentified 20-year-old female from La Crosse with a gunshot wound to her lower right leg. Matti was also located and taken into custody, reportedly without further incident.
McCullick said Bryant Matti and the woman were “acquaintences” and that she initially willingly went with him, “but she figured out somewhere between Boscobel and La Crosse that he wouldn’t let her go.”
Both Matti and the female victim were transported to Gundersen Boscobel Hospital for medical treatment. The victim wass later transferred to Gundersen Hospital in La Cross with non-life threatening injuries. Matti was treated for minor injuries and then transported to the Grant County Jail.
“We’ve talked about these situations in the past,” McCullick said. “You hope you never need to use all these resources, but you’re glad you have them when you need them. The communication was unbelievable and the response was incredible. Obviously, you don’t want anyone to get hurt, but no one died. It was an acceptable outcome in that everyone went home safe.”
Matti was placed on 18 months probation after he pleaded guilty to felony bail jumping in La Crosse County for incidents last Jan. 21 and Feb. 24. Charges of battery or threat to a judge, prosecutor or law enforcement officer, throwing or discharging bodily fluid at a public safety worker or prosecutor, resisting or obstructing an officer and two counts of disorderly conduct were dismissed but read in for sentencing.
Matti’s probation terms include bans on alcohol and controlled substances without a prescription, staying out of bars and “locations where drugs are used/sold,” staying away from “known drug dealers/users,” and writing a letter of apology to a police officer, according to court records.
Matti was placed on two years probation in La Crosse County in 2017 on a charge of possession of methamphetamine, with a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia dismissed.
Matti faces La Crosse County charges of criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct for an incident Nov. 30.
Boscobel Police Chief Jaden McCullick reported that the department received the report of a man, later identified as Bryant Matti, 32, of rural Eastman, barricaded in the home on the 1300 block of Elm Street, around 10 a.m.
Matti faces tenative charges of first-degree reckless injury, injury by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon, false imprisonment, criminal tresspass to a locked dwelling, and two counts of bail jumping.
Charges had not been filed as of Tuesday morning, according to court records.
The call came from Matti’s father, Richard Matti, who is a correctional officer at the Wisconsin Secure Program Facility. Bryant Matti called the prison from Richard’s house and asked his father to come home. When Richard got there he noticed that the front door had been kicked in and that Bryant was inside with a high caliber rifle. That’s when he left and called police, according to Police Chief Jaden McCullick, who was part of the negotiating team in a command post set up in the parking lot at Gasser’s True Value Hardware.
“We hated to take over their parking lot, but we didn’t want to set up in town or near the schools,” McCullick said.
Shortly after, police arrived on scene and immediately began calling for other area departments to come for assistance. All regular traffic calls were suspended from the airways on the county’s scanner channel. 37 minutes after the initial call, the Boscobel EMS was also paged to stand by at their shed “in case they’re needed for the situation,” noted the requesting officer on scene.
McCullick reported that law enforcement had received information as well that there was possibly a female subject inside.
The situation continued to escalate throughout the course of the day with more and more departments responding to the call.
After receiving the report, a perimeter was established and the residence and neighbors were notified to evacuate the area.
Meanwhile, Casey’s General Store was put under lock down as well as the Boscobel Area School District. Students were eventually released due to impending severe weather, however, those who typically walk home were strongly encouraged to bus or be picked up by family members as well as advised to avoid the situation.
During this time, in addition to departments from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Grant County Emergency Management, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Fennimore Police Department, South West Emergency Response Team, Dubuque Police Department, Dane County Tactical Response Team, Richland/Iowa/Grant Drug Task Force, Boscobel Fire Department, and Boscobel EMS all responded. Perhaps the most notable presence however was the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, as heavily armored Grant County S.W.A.T. Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle lumbered into Boscobel to stage with the other departments at Gassers True Value Hardware a few blocks away.
The day carried on as more officers trickled on to the scene. Many side streets remained closed until the situation came to a head later in the afternoon.
McCullick reported that once a perimeter was established, negotiations were made via telephone with Matti, inside the residence.
According to the report issued by the Boscobel Police Department through the course of the standoff, gun shots were heard from inside the residence which prompted law enforcement to make entry.
Once inside, law enforcement located an unidentified 20-year-old female from La Crosse with a gunshot wound to her lower right leg. Matti was also located and taken into custody, reportedly without further incident.
McCullick said Bryant Matti and the woman were “acquaintences” and that she initially willingly went with him, “but she figured out somewhere between Boscobel and La Crosse that he wouldn’t let her go.”
Both Matti and the female victim were transported to Gundersen Boscobel Hospital for medical treatment. The victim wass later transferred to Gundersen Hospital in La Cross with non-life threatening injuries. Matti was treated for minor injuries and then transported to the Grant County Jail.
“We’ve talked about these situations in the past,” McCullick said. “You hope you never need to use all these resources, but you’re glad you have them when you need them. The communication was unbelievable and the response was incredible. Obviously, you don’t want anyone to get hurt, but no one died. It was an acceptable outcome in that everyone went home safe.”
Matti was placed on 18 months probation after he pleaded guilty to felony bail jumping in La Crosse County for incidents last Jan. 21 and Feb. 24. Charges of battery or threat to a judge, prosecutor or law enforcement officer, throwing or discharging bodily fluid at a public safety worker or prosecutor, resisting or obstructing an officer and two counts of disorderly conduct were dismissed but read in for sentencing.
Matti’s probation terms include bans on alcohol and controlled substances without a prescription, staying out of bars and “locations where drugs are used/sold,” staying away from “known drug dealers/users,” and writing a letter of apology to a police officer, according to court records.
Matti was placed on two years probation in La Crosse County in 2017 on a charge of possession of methamphetamine, with a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia dismissed.
Matti faces La Crosse County charges of criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct for an incident Nov. 30.
Boscobel Dial David Krier contributed to this story.
