April 5, 2017 at 4:07 p.m.
Eagle River man pleads guilty to reduced charges in 2016 armed standoff
Mayo to be sentenced on felony count May 17
Eagle River man pleads guilty to reduced charges in 2016 armed standoff
Mark C. Mayo was originally charged in Vilas County Circuit Court with two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, a class F felony, and one count of possession of a firearm while intoxicated, a class A misdemeanor. But in a plea agreement worked out between Vilas County district attorney Martha Milanowski and defense attorney John Voorhees, Mayo pled guilty to intentionally pointing a firearm at a law enforcement officer and operating or going armed with a firearm while intoxicated charge. The other charge was dismissed but read in. A charge of misdemeanor bail jumping in a separate case was dismissed outright.
Milanowski filed an amended felony information charging Mayo with the lesser felony.
"We do have a number of other understandings surrounding this plea," Milanowski said. "One is that the state would be requesting a pre-sentence investigation, given the nature of the crimes that have been charged and pled to, and that the state has agreed to recommend a lengthy probation term on each count and is not going to recommend confinement in the state prison. But I am going to be recommending appropriate terms of probation, including the opportunity to recommend additional conditional jail in this case."
She also stipulated that Mayo had been incarcerated for 217 days since his arrest.
Mayo told Vilas County Judge Neal Nielsen III that he understood the nature of the charges and possible punishments and entered guilty pleas to the two amended charges.
Nielsen accepted Mayo's guilty pleas, found him guilty and set the matter over until May 17 for sentencing.
Although Milanowski will not ask for a prison term, Nielsen could order Mayo to serve up to three years incarceration and three years extended supervision and direct that he pay a fine of up to $10,000.
According to the Vilas sheriff's office report of the standoff, the department received a 9-1-1 call from Mayo just before 4 p.m. saying he was suicidal and armed with a 9 mm and two, 15-round magazines. He said he was at Spirit Lake, had been drinking and using prescription drugs, and that if he saw any law enforcement officers he would shoot them.
When the first two members of the sheriff's department arrived at the residence on Deerskin Road where Mayo said he was located, they tried to block traffic from proceeding down the road. They also reported hearing three shots fired near the tree line.
After taking cover, the personnel heard more shots fired in their direction from the tree line.
The report said that Lt. Gerard Ritter of the sheriff's office was able to make it to the garage of the residence and helped two female juveniles and an adult female to safety.
After that, the Vilas County SWAT team was activated and a request for assistance was made to the Rhinelander Police Department for their K-9 unit and the Oneida County Special Response Team.
Drones were also requested from Vilas County and Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission and were used to locate where the gunman was located in the woods.
Ritter, along with members of both SWAT teams, Sgt. Angela Mertz of the RPD and her K-9 partner, went to where the drones had spotted the gunman. The report said Mayo was on his back mumbling incoherently and was quickly taken into custody. When searched he did not have either a weapon or a phone on him, but a 9 mm Glock handgun was located about 20 yards from where he was apprehended, partially submerged in the lake.
On Aug. 26, Mayo appeared before court commissioner Steve Garbowicz via video from the jail for a bail bond hearing, since the criminal complaint was not yet ready.
Then Vilas County district attorney Albert Moustakis asked that Mayo be held without bond and that motion was granted. An initial appearance was originally scheduled for Aug. 31, but was moved to Aug. 29 when the complaint was filed.
On Aug. 30, the charge of misdemeanor bail jumping was also filed against Mayo in a separate case.
Jamie Taylor may be reached at [email protected].
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