Killing Spree at the Spa
Brown Deer PD chief responds about Haughton domestic violence run-ins
BROWN DEER - Brown Deer's police chief is answering his critics who say his department should have done more to stop the Brookfield salon shooter during prior domestic violence incidents.
"It is unhelpful when the media picks and chooses how they want to report something," said Brown Deer Police Chief Steven Rinzel.
He told Newsradio 620 WTMJ's Jodi Becker that his officers are good, hard working people who've taken a bad rap for how they handled a prior run-in with the salon shooter, Radcliffe Haughton, and his wife Zina Haughton.
Rinzel says officers were talking to Zina in 2011 when one officer thought they saw the man come to a window with a weapon.
The officers drew weapons and set up a perimeter.
"That's normal for when you're going to come on, and somebody says, 'Gun!' and you have your officers drop back," explained Rinzel.
When asked if that means a standoff, the term used for the incident in the criminal complaint, he said, "At one point in time, they probably thought it was, too, but they later on holstered their weapons and backed away."
Zina told the officers they could not go inside, and there was no danger.
Rinzel says his officers may have been criticized that day if they had busted down the door to talk with the man.
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