A 24-year-old man is facing charges after Saukville police say he tried to stab a woman with a knife, then retreated into a basement and refused to respond to officers, triggering a standoff that ended with the county's special response team taking him into custody without incident.
According to FOX6 News Milwaukee, officers were dispatched to the area of Rebel and South Main in Saukville, Wisconsin, at about 3:19 p.m. Monday, September 28, 2026, for a domestic violence-related incident. Police said the 24-year-old man tried to stab a woman with a knife before retreating into the basement of the home.
Once inside, the suspect did not respond to officers who were attempting to make contact with him, per the outlet's report. That standoff prompted police to call in reinforcements from elsewhere in the county.
The countywide team called to the scene draws on officers from multiple agencies. Ozaukee County planning documents describe its Special Response Team as comprising sheriff’s deputies and municipal police officers, with a role in responding to hostage and barricaded-suspect situations. The county Sheriff’s Office also lists the Special Response Team, identified as SWAT, among its units. County planning documents describe the team’s makeup and mission.
Special Response Team Ends the Standoff
The Ozaukee County Special Response Team was requested to assist local officers, and the suspect exited the home only after that team arrived on scene, the station's report states. Police then took him into custody without further incident, and no injuries were reported in connection with the case.
Saukville’s police department has a small roster: the village lists a chief, lieutenant, sergeant and eight officers, along with two clerical staff, and says it provides round-the-clock service. The village also says calls requiring an officer response may be routed to the Ozaukee County Joint Dispatch Center. That local structure provides context for the request for county-level assistance during the standoff. The village’s department description lists its staffing and dispatch arrangements.
The Saukville Police Department sent FOX6 a news release detailing the outcome, per the same account. Charges are expected to be referred to the Ozaukee County District Attorney's Office.
What Charges Could Follow
The referred charges reportedly include failure to comply with officers attempting to take a person into custody, first-degree recklessly endangering safety, and disorderly conduct. It remains unclear whether those charges have been formally filed, what the final charges might look like, or whether a bail amount or court date has been set.
The proposed charges have distinct legal requirements and remain allegations, not findings of guilt. Wisconsin’s first-degree reckless-endangerment law requires proof that a person recklessly endangered someone under circumstances showing utter disregard for human life. The custody-compliance offense is narrower than simply not answering police: it includes an intentional refusal of a lawful custody attempt, remaining or retreating in a place to prevent custody, and being armed with a dangerous weapon or threatening to use one. Wisconsin’s statutory elements for reckless endangerment and the elements for failure to comply with a custody attempt set out those requirements.
Details about the alleged knife attack itself, including the relationship between the two people involved and how long the standoff lasted, have not been released. The suspect's name, the woman's name, and the exact address of the home have also not been made public.
