This browser does not support the Video element.
School gun incident, Franklin man charged
Milwaukee County prosecutors accuse a man of pointing a gun at an Indian Community School employee during a property-line dispute.
FRANKLIN, Wis. - Milwaukee County prosecutors accuse a man of pointing a gun at an Indian Community School employee during a dispute over brush being cleared from adjoining property lines that happened Wednesday, Sept. 16.
In court:
Steven Trudell, 62, of Franklin, is charged with two misdemeanors: endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct. He has no criminal history and is the owner of AAA Tree Service in Franklin.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Trudell pleaded not guilty to the charges, and a court commissioner set a $5,000 signature bond. When released from jail, Trudell is ordered to have no contact with the school employee, Indian Community School, and not possess any dangerous weapons.
Trudell is due back in court for a pre-trial conference on Sept. 30.
Steven Trudell
Dispute at Indian Community School
What we know:
According to court documents, Trudell emerged from the woods and pointed a gun at a 51-year-old Indian Community School employee in Franklin. The employee was clearing brush near the school's property line, adjacent to nearly five acres of wooded land Trudell owns off Loomis Road.
What they're saying:
The employee told police he was operating a front-end loader along the property line, when Trudell "poked his head out" from a clearing in the woods, who immediately pointed a gun at the employee. The employee told police he put his hands up, as Trudell – who the employee said had ‘numerous’ issues with ICS – was questioning and swearing at him, and said "don’t worry, you’re not going to get shot and to bring all the Indians," according to the complaint.
"The named victim in this case is on my client’s property, with a mulching machine, tearing down trees on my client’s property," Dustan Davidson, Trudell’s defense attorney, said.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Trudell yelled at the employee, used expletives and hostile language, and made complaints about the Indian Community School and "the Indians," according to a petition filed by the school. The employee said Trudell had "numerous" issues with the school.
During the confrontation, prosecutors said Trudell's son came up from behind his father and yelled derogatory statements about the situation, court documents said. The incident lasted about 20 seconds, with the employee telling police he feared for his safety when he saw the gun.
"(The ICS employee) indicated the individual pointed the firearm directly at him," said Circuit Court Commissioner Cedric Cornwall, reading from the complaint, "and then began to wave the gun, as if making a shooting gesture, signaling BRB to leave."
Property Martins and Loomis roads, Franklin
The other side:
When police showed up, Trudell told them he owned the property and made no mention of a firearm being involved, but said he received a call from his son after a trail camera saw a person cutting down trees on their land and was "ticked off" because someone was destroying his hunting land, according to the complaint. Filings said Trudell later told police he waved the employee down with a gun in hand, holding it throughout the conversation, and was waving it around.
Trudell gave police consent to search his vehicle. Officers recovered a Glock 40 from the center console of his Jeep. The firearm did not have a round in the chamber but was loaded with nine rounds in the magazine, according to the complaint.
"And taking the allegations as true," Davidson said, "not the best way to deal with that situation."
In a later interview with police, court filings said Trudell told police, "When they see the gun that’s when people stop" and he displayed the gun "to show he was serious about shutting the machine down."
School granted restraining order
Dig deeper:
Indian Community School is a private, faith-based intertribal school that offers nearly 400 students from K4 through eighth grade an education based on traditional Indian spiritual and cultural principles. The school owns nearly 180 acres of woodland, prairie and wetlands surrounding its campus near Martins and Loomis roads.
Thes school sought and was granted a temporary restraining order against Trudell, with an injunction hearing set for later this month. In its petition, the school said it reasonably feared for the safety of its students, faculty, staff, employees and community members given that Trudell had pointed and brandished a gun at a school employee on school property, made threatening and hostile statements and left the scene with another individual who also used racial slurs.
Franklin school closed until Monday after gun pulled on employee: police
The Indian Community School in Franklin will be closed until Monday, Sept. 21, following an incident where a gun was reportedly pulled on an employee amid a landscaping dispute.
Why you should care:
The school was closed on Thursday, Sept. 17 and will remain closed until Monday, Sept. 21. In a statement, the school wrote:
"Given the seriousness of the situation, we will be closed until Monday, Sept. 21. This will give law enforcement time to complete their work and allow us time to take the necessary steps to strengthen protections for our school."
What we don't know:
It's not yet clear what additional safety measures the school plans to put in place prior to reopening on Sept. 21.
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional information.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Franklin Police Department, the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, Wisconsin Circuit Court and an Indian Community School petition.