Kenosha bar homicide, police shooting; man charged

KENOSHA, Wis. - A Milwaukee man is accused of killing a man inside a Kenosha bar before getting into a shootout with police on Sunday night, Sept. 20.

Charges filed

In court:

The Kenosha County District Attorney's Office charged 45-year-old Adam Threlkeld with first-degree intentional homicide, two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, possession of a firearm by a felon and felony bail jumping. 

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The backstory:

Threlkeld was convicted of a felony in 1999 and since then has been legally prohibited from having a gun. At the time of the shooting, he was out on a $2,500 signature bond for felony battery/threat to judge, prosecutor, or law enforcement officer and misdemeanor criminal damage to property.

What's next:

Court records show Threlkeld is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Oct. 2.

Bar shooting

The backstory:

On Sept. 20, police arrived at Shenanigan's, a bar near 25th Avenue and 52nd Street in Kenosha. Officers found a 33-year-old man wounded inside the bar, and he died at the scene.

Police identified the victim as Antero Medina III. Neighbors said he was a father of three. Investigators do not believe Medina and Threlkeld knew one another prior to the homicide.

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What they're saying:

According to a criminal complaint, a witness told investigators Threlkeld was arguing with Medina in a "conversational tone" that night. Threlkeld said something about being "related to a gang," according to the witness, and his voice "became louder and more aggressive." The witness said Threlkeld then pressed his forehead against the side of Medina's head as he stood over the victim. The witness said she told the men to "calm down and stop," turned around and heard a pop.

Dig deeper:

Surveillance footage showed Medina sitting at the bar and talking with Threlkeld, who was standing next to him. The complaint said Medina walked away while on the phone and said something along the lines of that he was "into some s***" and needed a ride. Threlkeld then walked over and got close to Medina's face and the conversation became "heated and argumentative." Prosecutors said the video showed Medina seemed to be "avoiding contact" and Threlkeld was "the aggressor." 

As the situation escalated, the complaint said Threlkeld pulled out a gun and fired a shot directly at Medina. Medina stumbled a few steps and collapsed, at which point Threlkeld left the bar.

Police shooting

The backstory:

Court filings said the bar shooting happened at 8:25 p.m. Officers got to the scene around 8:27 p.m. 

Police said Threlkeld shot at officers when they found him near 24th Avenue and 53rd Street, less than a block away from the bar. He hit a squad car, but did not hit any officers. Police shot back and hit Threlkeld, who was taken into custody and then to a hospital.

Dig deeper:

According to court filings, police footage showed two marked squads with emergency lights activated approaching the area, at which time three gunshots could be heard. The squads stopped, an officer quickly got out of his squad and took cover, exchanging gunfire with Threlkeld. The two exchanged gunfire again seconds later, and an officer ordered Threlkeld to surrender. Gunshots hit one of the officer's squads several times, including the hood windows and tires.

After Threlkeld was taken into custody, police found a gun on his person. The magazine loaded into the gun was "completely empty," the complaint said. It had the capacity to hold 15 rounds with one chambered for a total capacity of 16 rounds. Investigators found one round in the bar and 15 at the scene of the shootout.

What they're saying:

Once officers took Threlkeld into custody, court filings state he said: "I wasn't trying to kill anyone except the mother***** I shot." On the way to a hospital, the complaint said Threlkeld made statements including:

• "This isn't fair. I was was supposed to die."
• "I didn't want to hurt anybody, only the mother***** who deserved to die."
• "I tried to shoot at the cops, I did shoot the cops."
• "I emptied an entire 15 round clip."
• "I hope he dies. I had to teach him a lesson."

Crime and Public SafetyKenoshaNews