"Wanted deputies to shoot him:" Neighbor wanted for beating boy unconscious arrested

Brian Olson

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- A suspect who happens to be the next-door neighbor -- wanted in connection with the brutal beating of a 13-year-old boy was taken into custody just yards from the Holy Hill basilica. The investigation started on Monday night, August 14th when a father found his son unresponsive with head injuries.

"He wanted deputies to shoot him," said Washington County Sheriff Dale Schmidt. "He had an object in his hands and he did approach them in a threatening manner."

Sheriff Schmidt said what led to this arrest was an incident on Monday evening, when a father found his son with severe head injuries outside the family's Richfield home on Wexford Circle. The boy was unconscious.

Wexford Circle

"The 13-year-old was using the family lawn mower and then had these serious injuries to his head and it didn't make sense," said Schmidt.

The father called 911 and the teen was transported to Children's Hospital.

"It was obvious this was very serious and that this had to have been caused by some person," said Schmidt.

Through their investigation, authorities had strong evidence 46-year-old Brian Olson was behind the beating. It turns out he's the victim's next-door neighbor.

FOX6 News tried reaching out to a person who lives with Olson for comment, but no one answered the door. Neighbors who did not want to be identified, expressed their sympathy for the victim.

After the incident Monday, authorities got a temporary felony warrant for Olson's arrest and sent out information to the public -- including a description of his vehicle.

As people arrived to Holy Hill for Mass Monday morning, an employee spotted the vehicle in a parking lot and called police.

"They used several Tasers on him as he tried to run away," said Schmidt. 

Now, investigators are trying to uncover what led up to causing such injuries.

"We don't know for sure if there was a real motive so much as an act on his part," said Schmidt.

Olson's charges are pending at this time. He's expected to go in front of a judge Thursday afternoon.