Armed with “samurai sword”, man holds police at bay in Menasha for hours after breaking into business

A 34-year-old Menasha man has been taken into custody after holding police at bay after breaking into a Menasha business Sunday morning, October 13, 2024.

Just before 7:30 AM officers were called to a burglary alarm at Matthews Tire near the intersection of Appleton Road and Highway 10 on the north side of Menasha. Upon arrival, officers found broken glass and the man inside the business, armed with a large samurai type sword.

Officers attempted to communicate with the man, but he was uncooperative, so additional agencies were called in to assist, including the Winnebago County SWAT team as well as negotiators.

Continuing to ignore police contact, the man started to destroy items in the store.

After several hours, the man finally came to the door to talk with police but refused to give himself up so officers deployed a K9 that apprehended the suspect and he was taken into custody.
He now faces charges of Failure To Comply, Criminal Damage to Property, Burglary While Armed With a Dangerous Weapon, and misdemeanor Bail Jumping.