CHARGED: 55-year-old Racine man with lengthy criminal history faces new charges in weekend standoff

RACINE COUNTY (WITI) -- A 55-year-old Racine man, arrested following a standoff this past weekend in Racine has now been charged.

Kurt Hanson, who has a criminal history dating back to the 1980s, faces four charges in connection with this incident this weekend, including: first degree recklessly endangering safety, repeater, use of a dangerous weapon, failure to comply with officer's attempt to take a person into custody, repeater, obstructing an officer, repeater, and disorderly conduct, repeater, use of a dangerous weapon.

Hanson's criminal history includes convictions for resisting arrest, possession of THC, disorderly conduct, criminal damage to property, obstructing, battery to a law enforcement officer, battery, substantial battery, unlawful use of a telephone, violation of a domestic violence injunction, and OWI (first, second and third offense).

A criminal complaint filed against Hanson says police were dispatched to the the 1600 block of Russet Street on Saturday, November 1st -- just before 11:30 a.m. for a report of a man with a knife.

Upon arrival, officers spoke with a man who said his daughter was out working in the yard when Hanson, who lives across the street, let his dog into the yard. The dog then defecated in the yard -- and the man told police his daughter told Hanson to pick up the dog's waste.

The complaint says that's when Hanson kicked the dog's waste into the street.

The man told police his daughter told him about the incident, saying she was concerned because Hanson was intoxicated, according to the complaint. The man says he went over to Hanson's home and knocked on the door, and when Hanson answered the door, the man told police Hanson pulled out a machete and threatened the man with that machete -- telling him to get off of his property.

The complaint says the man backed off -- picking up a tree branch in an effort to protect himself as Hanson went out into the yard. The man told police Hanson dropped the machete as the man continued to back up -- eventually picking up the machete and re-entering his home.

That's when the man called police.

While officers were in the area investigating, they were advised by dispatch that Hanson was on the phone with 911 operators -- saying the cops better get off his property, or he would kill them, according to the complaint.

The complaint indicates officers told dispatch to inform Hanson he needed to exit his residence to talk with police, but he refused to comply -- initiating the standoff.

The complaint accuses Hanson of contacting dispatch several times -- making threats that he would let his dogs out to attack officers and kill officers with his high-powered rifles and his crossbow.

Officers took cover, as Hanson continued to make threats -- eventually coming out of his home with his dog -- staggering in the front yard and yelling, according to the complaint. Hanson is accused of telling officers if they came onto his property again, he would kill them -- vowing to shoot them or order his dog to bite them.

A SWAT team was called in, as Hanson continued to make deadly threats towards the officers on scene.

The complaint says eventually, an officer on scene was able to make telephone contact with Hanson, and that officer spoke with Hanson for over an hour -- making repeated attempts to get Hanson to exit his residence -- with Hanson continuing to refuse to comply.

The complaint accuses Hanson of agreeing to speak with the officer near the sidewalk -- saying if she moved any closer, he had his crossbow loaded right for her chest -- saying it would penetrate her vest and kill her instantly when it went through her heart -- saying he would first send his dog out and order his dog to bite her.

When an officer was able to make telephone contact with Hanson again, the complaint says he admitted to having a weapon when his neighbor came to his home, prior to that neighbor contacting police -- with Hanson saying that neighbor had pulled a weapon from his waistband. The complaint says Hanson admitted to drinking vodka, and says he offered vodka to the officers.

Racine police say Hanson eventually made the decision to release his dog into the middle of this active and rapidly unfolding incident, and the decision was made to use force to stop the dog at large. The dog was killed.

Eventually, Hanson fell asleep while on the phone with officers, and SWAT officers were able to take him into custody.

A search warrant was executed on Hanson's home, and officers recovered a machete.

Hanson was set to make his initial court appearance in this case at 1:30 p.m. Monday, November 3rd.

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