Park Falls shooting suspect arrested in Minocqua

A 50-year old Park Falls man is being held in connection with a death in Park Falls on Saturday, April 13.

According to a press release issued Sunday by the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), officers with the Park Falls Police Department responded late Saturday afternoon to reports of shots fired near the 600 block of 2nd Avenue North in Park Falls. “When they arrived, officers found a deceased adult with multiple gunshot wounds,” the release said. “A handgun was found at the scene. A suspect has been taken into custody.”

 The suspect, Christopher J. Dyer, was arrested in Minocqua. 

Minocqua police chief Dave Jaeger told The Lakeland Times officers in his department received notification of the incident from the Park Falls police department at 4:55 p.m. Saturday. 

Shortly after 7:30 p.m. that evening Woodruff police officer Brian Czlapinski reported he was behind Dyer’s 2006 Buick LuCerne sedan at the intersection of U.S. Highway 51 and State Highway 70 in Minocqua. 

With Czlapinski tailing him, Dyer turned onto Frank Drive, Jaeger said.

At that point, Jaeger said a deputy with the Oneida County sheriff’s office pulled in behind Czlapinski’s squad and conducted a traffic stop of Dyer’s LuCerne. 

Minocqua police officer Devon Gaszak arrived moments later and assisted with the traffic stop, the chief reported.

“The subject (Dyer) was cooperative, taken into custody and brought to the Oneida County Jail,” Jaeger said.

 Dyer’s LuCerne was removed from the scene by a tow company and taken to the Minocqua police department’s impound area where it remained as of Monday. 

“It’s not going anywhere until it’s processed for evidence,” Jaeger said of the vehicle. 

In its press release,  DCI stated it “is continuing to review evidence and determine the facts of this incident and will turn over investigative reports to the Price County District Attorney when the investigation concludes.”

Dyer, who turned 50 years old on Monday, has since been transferred to the Price County jail as the investigation proceeds.

Tyler Young, patrol captain with the Oneida County sheriff’s office, told the Times he’s “very thankful” Dyer was cooperative with law enforcement during the Minocqua traffic stop. 

“Bad things can go worse and they didn’t,” he said. 

Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected].