An armed standoff in Sturgeon Bay involving a 40 year old Door County man was resolved peacefully shortly after 11:15PM Monday when a SWAT team entered the home he was holed up in. There were no injuries & Christopher McNulty was taken into custody without incident. Earlier in the day, a neighborhood on the West side of Sturgeon Bay was cordoned off as local law enforcement tried to defuse the potentially dangerous standoff situation.
The Sturgeon Bay Police Department called in the County’s SWAT team & used fire department units to block off streets shortly after 5PM following an incident involving McNulty at the home located at 337 North Duluth Avenue. Officers could see the McNulty inside the garage & noticed he was armed with a handgun. At about the time contact was made, the situation escalated.
Sturgeon Bay Police Captain Dan Brinkman who was Incident Commander at the scene explained the circumstances that led up to the incident…[audio:http://wdor.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/N1223.mp3|titles=Officer Brinkman]
No one was injured when those shots were fired. The Door County SWAT unit was later joined by similar units from Brown & Kewaunee Counties & some residents were evacuated. Contact with McNulty was made several times, but the dialogue eventually ceased at 8:19PM. Less than two hours later, the SWAT team was breaking down the front door to the home & McNulty was under arrest. He did not have the handgun with him when the home was entered by officers. McNulty was taken to a mental health facility for treatment.
He faces multiple felony counts in connection with the incident. Brinkman thanked the personnel from several agencies who participated in the operation, especially the SWAT team members who endured hot & humid weather wearing special gear. He also thanked residents for their patience during the standoff.
