A 41-year-old woman from Wisconsin was taken into custody on Monday morning after a welfare check turned into an intense standoff involving an aluminum bat.
The Vernon County Sheriff’s Office received a request for a welfare check at a residence on Hoff Valley Road. Deputies were dispatched to the scene around 11:00 a.m. The requestor had been in regular communication with Stacie L. Welter and became concerned when there was no contact from her for a week. Additionally, there were reports of dogs running loose and an unplowed steep driveway.
When the deputies arrived at the scene, they noticed that the front door had a broken window. Inside the house, Welter was present and was reportedly armed with an aluminum bat. Initially, she started moving towards the door, but the situation was successfully de-escalated by the deputy. Through effective communication, the deputy managed to convince Welter to put down the weapon.
During the incident, Welter allegedly grabbed a metal rod and approached the deputy, prompting the deputy to use a stun gun to subdue her. As a result, Welter was successfully apprehended without any additional complications.
Authorities suspect that drug use may have played a role in the incident. After declining medical assistance, Welter was taken to the Vernon County Jail.
Welter is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, December 26. She faces several charges, which include first-degree recklessly endangering safety, resisting or obstructing an officer, felony bail jumping, and prisoner throwing or expelling bodily fluids.
