Bangstad arrested, charged for harassment, causing disturbance

Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad has posted a cash bond in Oneida County circuit court after being charged with two misdemeanors — disorderly conduct and bail-jumping — for a disturbance at his Front Street location last Friday, in which six others at the scene were also arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

According to the police report by Minocqua police office Jarrett Radmer, Bangstad engaged in indecent, profane, boisterous, unreasonably loud, and otherwise disorderly conduct as he and others at his establishment hurled profanities at Lakeland Times publisher Gregg Walker as Walker left the newspaper office for the day. 

Bangstad holds up a framed faked pornographic rendering of Walker and Holmes (pixelation added), the same image that led to Bangstad’s arrest for criminal defamation when he posted it to Facebook.
(Photo by Dean Hall/Lakeland Times)

The Times is located across the street near the Minocqua Brewing Company and in full view of the Minocqua Brewing Company. Walker did not respond to the tirade.

The bail-jumping arises from alleged violations of his bond conditions on a criminal defamation charge Bangstad is facing for publishing a fake photo of Walker and Times’ general manager Heather Holmes in a pornographic rendering. That case is open and, under the terms of the bond in that case, Bangstad is not to commit any crime or to, directly or indirectly, threaten, harass, intimidate, or otherwise interfere with Walker or Holmes. Those conditions also prohibit Bangstad from issuing any threats against Holmes or Walker that would intimidate them as witnesses in that case.

At the June 30 hearing, Oneida County circuit judge Michael Schiek also recused himself from the case — as he did in the criminal defamation case — because of his relationship to the earlier case. A Michigan man allegedly threatened the judge over Bangstad’s criminal defamation arrest. 

In this case, Bangstad posted a bond of $1,150. Conviction of the misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge could bring a prison sentence of not more than 90 days or a $1,000 fine, or both. The bail-jumping charge is more serious. Conviction could draw a nine-month prison sentence, or a $10,000 fine, or both.

Finally, Bangstad was charged with a harassment forfeiture, a citation.

Arrested and charged with disorderly conduct along with Bangstad were Matthew Haugen, Daniel Boggs, Douglas Nelson, Matthew Johnson, Allison Johnson, and Libby Nelson.

All were transported to the Minocqua Police Department and then to the Oneida County jail. 

How the scene unfolded

Minocqua dispatch received a call from Walker at about 5 p.m. on Friday, June 27, Radmer’s report states, during which Walker informed the dispatcher that he was outside his office and that Bangstad and other customers were harassing him from across the street, and yelling profanities like “f — g a — hole.”

Bangstad and other customers were looking at Walker while yelling the profanities, Radmer’s report states.

When Radmer arrived on the scene, the report stated, Walker said Bangstad had started the communication toward Walker, and the other customers then joined in. Radmer said Walker pointed out multiple people who were yelling profanities. 

But Walker wasn’t the only one allegedly being disturbed.

“While speaking with Walker, a male walked over to me from across the street,” Radmer reported. “The male was coming from a residence right next to the Minocqua Brewing Company. The male was asking what was going to be done about the loud and profane comments Bangstad and his customers were making.”

The person said those who lived in the house would be filing a police complaint.

“The male was upset about the situation, and I advised the male to not go over to the Minocqua Brewing Company and confront anyone,” the report states.

While the neighbor was walking back to the house, Radmer reported that he observed Bangstad still speaking at a loud volume. Bangstad was also holding up a picture, Radmer observed, though he stated he could not see the details of the picture from his position. Radmer requested back-up from the county sheriff’s department because there was a large crowd at the Minocqua Brewing Company.

Throughout the incident, Radmer said Walker remained quiet.

“At no time while I was on scene did I observe Walker engage in any contact with Bangstad or his customers,” the report stated. “Walker only pointed out individuals to me.”

Other interviews

Radmer also interviewed the neighboring resident.

The resident of the house was about to go to the police department to file a complaint about the loud and profane activity coming from the Minocqua Brewing Company, Radmer reported. 

“[The neighbor] had been home for approximately 45 minutes and since [the neighbor] was at home, Bangstad had been screaming,” Radmer reported the neighbor as stating. “[The neighbor] said about five minutes before I arrived, Bangstad had started to say ‘awful’ things like ‘go f — k yourself,’ across the street towards Walker. [The neighbor] said the customers at the Minocqua Brewing Company were flipping off [the neighbor], who was inside [the] residence, because [the neighbor] was recording them on [the neighbor’s] phone.”

The neighbor reported that, while passing the Minocqua Brewing Company at about 4:40 p.m., the neighbor spotted Bangstad at the establishment; more people than usual seemed to be congregated there, too, the neighbor reported, and Bangstad seemed to be “extra riled up.” 

Once home, Bangstad and the customers got progressively louder, the neighbor reported to Radmer. The neighbor reported that Bangstad was yelling so loud it was as if he were right outside the window: “[The neighbor] said no doors or windows were open at [the] residence,” the report stated. 

Soon, another relative of the neighbor arrived and started blowing leaves with a leaf blower to try and drown out the noise coming from the Minocqua Brewing Company.

“When [the neighbor’s relative] turned off the leaf blower, [the neighbor] looked out [the] living room window and saw everyone at the Minocqua Brewing Company pointing and yelling across the street at Walker,” Radmer’s report states. “[The neighbor] stated, ‘Kirk and the crowd were yelling every curse word to exist at Gregg [Walker].’ [The neighbor] then called the police department. After [the neighbor] got off the phone with a dispatch, [the neighbor] started to video tape Bangstad for evidence of what was happening.”

At that point, Radmer continued, Bangstad held up a large, framed picture to the crowd of what the neighbor called “the most awful picture of Gregg Walker.” 

“This is when the crowd at the Minocqua Brewing Company saw [the neighbor] recording them and the customers started flipping [the neighbor] off,” the report states. “[The neighbor] then stopped recording and went outside because I then arrived to speak with [the neighbor].”

Radmer said he reviewed the neighbor’s video, and, at the start of the video, Bangstad was holding a framed picture.

“I recognized the picture as one Bangstad had previously posted on his Facebook page,” the report stated. “The picture was of Walker which led to Bangstad’s arrest for criminal defamation [the fake pornographic rendering of Walker and Holmes], which is his open misdemeanor court case …... Then in the video, there are two older females who wave at [the neighbor] recording and then both females laugh and flip off [the neighbor].”

Next, Radmer reports, Bangstad turned around and faced Walker across the street.

“Bangstad then yells towards Walker, ‘Hey, go f — k yourself,’” the report states. “The next video [the neighbor] took shows Bangstad and his customers again. At the start of the second video, Bangstad is explaining the framed photo he was holding up.”

Bangstad then read what was written in the photo, Radmer reports. 

“Bangstad then said, ‘this is this guy right here’ and pointed at Walker across the street,” the report states. “The video then ends.”

Officer observations

While waiting for back-up, Radmer had some observations of his own, one of which was that multiple people started leaving the Minocqua Brewing Company.

“Traffic was busy and noisy on the highway, but I could still hear Bangstad and his customers yelling profanities and directing some towards Walker,” the report stated.

At that point, Radmer reported, Oneida County sheriff’s deputies arrived.

“Due to the numerous customers engaging in unreasonably loud, indecent, profane, and boisterous conduct, I advised the customers at the Minocqua Brewing Company that no one was free to leave until the investigation was complete or otherwise released by an officer,” Radmer stated. “Bangstad immediately walked up to me and said I was live on camera. I informed Bangstad I was standing in the area for a while and that he has been yelling over there (towards Walker). Bangstad said ‘yeah.’” 

A sheriff’s deputy walked up to Bangstad and informed him that he was going to the deputy’s car, to which Bangstad said he wasn’t going, Radmer reported. The two officers then attempted to handcuff Bangstad because he was in violation of his bail conditions, Radmer reported.

“Bangstad’s arms were tense, and he manipulated his arms to make it difficult to place handcuffs on him,” the report stated. “Bangstad was advised he was being detained. Bangstad was still tense and was pulling, Bangstad was told to stop resisting. Once the handcuffs were on, Bangstad was escorted to [the] squad car.”

Radmer reported finding three more who had engaged in disorderly conduct and they were arrested. Walker pointed out three more, and they were arrested for disorderly conduct as well.

In addition to the neighbors and to Walker, Radmer reported that customers at the Bottled Bean could see the boisterous behavior as it happened.

“The Bottled Bean was open during the time of the disturbance,” Radmer wrote. “The Bottled Bean was busy with many people sitting outside. There were multiple children playing in the grass in front of the Bottled Bean while Bangstad and the other involved customers of the Minocqua Brewing Company were yelling profanities at Walker. Many customers at the Bottled Bean were looking over at the Minocqua Brewing Company while I was on scene due to the loud and profane conduct.”

The disturbance caused at the Minocqua Brewing Company not only disturbed Walker, but also the next-door residence and the customers and children at the Bottled Bean, Radmer wrote.

Court appearance

In court at the June 30 initial appearance, Schiek ordered Bangstad to have no contact with Walker, with Holmes, or with the neighbors next to the Minocqua Brewing Company. 

Schiek also recused himself from the case, given that last October a Michigan man was arrested for allegedly threatening both Schiek and Walker with injury or harm via computer after getting “worked up” about Bangstad’s arrest for criminal defamation.

Bangstad pleaded not guilty, and bond was set at $1,150.

After Schiek imposed the “no contact” condition on the bond, Bangstad’s attorney, Fred Melms (no association with Melms, Hogan & Francois law firm), raised what he called a number of First Amendment implications. For one thing, Melms said, Walker’s business is right across the street from the Minocqua Brewing Company, which he said Bangstad used as a staging area for his political activism.

“Given that that’s a place that Mr. Bangstad uses functionally for the purposes of political rallying and organizing, it [the no-contact condition] would almost function as a prior restraint because it would keep him away from the place where he does his organizing and engages in much of his First Amendment protected activity,” Melms said.

Schiek said the order meant no contact with the people in the order.

“That just means he can’t talk to him [Walker], phone him,” the judge said. “So those are very standard conditions.”

Schiek said during the last hearing there had been discussion about barring Bangstad from internet activity but, as then, he wasn’t going to go there.

“There’s just going to be no contact with those two individuals, and there were also the neighbors that were named,” he said.

Melms asked that the bond specify that Bangstad would be allowed to be at his Front Street business.

“I can certainly see a situation where one of the neighbors would feel being there is contact and then we’ll have another situation where 10 law enforcement officers would show up,” he said. 

Schiek said it would all be figured out.

“He can be at his place of employment or his business and at his own property,” the judge said. “He can be on his property, and there’s going to be maybe some inconsequential contact. They might be in the yard, he might be over there. He just can’t speak to them, to contact them individually. If they have incidental contact. I don’t think that’s going to be a violation.”

Melms said Bangstad wanted to know if this would impact his ability to get a permit to organize a protest against the newspaper.

Schiek said he wasn’t getting into any of that “stuff.”

Richard Moore is the author of “Dark State” and may be reached at richardd3d.substack.com.