Thomas Benser Facing Charges After Weekend Standoff with Police
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| Photo Courtesy Oconto County Sheriff's Office |
Lena, WI- Thomas S. Benser, 50, is facing 14 charges related to a 10 hour standoff this past weekend. Charges include five counts of Attempted First Degree Intentional Homicide after he fired several shots at police officers.
On Tuesday, Benser made his initial court appearance in Oconto County court after prosecutors filed a 14 page criminal complaint outlining the details of the incident. The judge set a $500,000 cash bond.
The incident reportedly stemmed from an argument between Benser and his ex-girlfriend on Saturday. The criminal complaint alleges that Thomas choked her and threatened to kill her.
On Sunday, Benser's ex-girlfriend called police after she received a voicemail from him stating that he was planning to kill himself. The voicemail also stated he would not go back to jail and "would put a bullet into every cop."
When Oconto County Sheriff deputies arrived at Benser's home, they were able to make phone contact with him. After speaking with him via phone, Benser fired four to five shots at the deputies. Oconto County then called in the Brown County SWAT team for assistance.
Related to the incident on Saturday, Benser is facing charges of attempted homicide, recklessly endangering safety, strangulation, substantial battery and disorderly conduct.
If convicted on all 14 counts, Benser faces a maximum sentence of more than 300 years in prison. He returns to court on April 12th.
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