Wautoma Standoff: New Details Emerge

In the Wautoma standoff, new details have emerged. Authorities have identified a suspect and a possible motive in the crimes.

The suspect has been identified as Timothy R. Pawlacyk, age 33. His cause of death has not been determined by autopsy. However, officials believe he died of a self-inflicted gunshot would.

As reported by WBAY News, Pawlacyk’s crime spree began at the CHN pharmacy. The suspect entered the store and threatened employees with a gun. He asked for Oxycontin, which is a powerful and addictive narcotic.

CHN employees gave Pawlacyk an unknown number of pills. The suspect left the store without further incident.

Authorities were alerted about the armed robbery. They had enough information to track Pawlacyk down. However, he fled from the officers.

Pawlacyk led the police on a high-speed chase. Gunfire was exchanged as Pawlacyk continued to flee.

The suspect eventually crashed the car. He got out of the car and ran, firing shots as he broke into a home. Thankfully, the homeowners were out-of-town.

The Wautoma standoff lasted for hours. Numerous law enforcement agencies were called to the scene.

In addition to the SWAT units, the Green Lake and Waushara County Sheriff’s departments, Wisconsin State Patrol, and several other local agencies responded.

Neighbors in surrounding homes were evacuated as a precaution. The officers surrounded the home. However, they had no contact with Pawlacyk.

As reported by WSAW, the SWAT team entered the home just after 11:00 pm. Inside they found Timothy R. Pawlacyk dead.

Two sheriff’s deputies were placed on leave following the incident. The leave is part of standard protocol when a weapon is discharged. The officers were not in violation of procedure.

The armed robbery and chase will be investigated by local authorities. The Wautoma standoff is currently under investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation.

[Image via Flickr]