Waukesha County inmate punched deputy at hospital, prosecutors say

Inmate punched deputy at hospital: complaint

A man convicted in what Waukesha County prosecutors described as a murder-for-hire-plot is now accused of punching a deputy in the face.

WAUKESHA, Wis. - A man convicted in what Waukesha County prosecutors described as a murder-for-hire-plot is now accused of punching a deputy in the face on Monday, Feb. 3.

Brendt Johannsen, 48, is now charged with attempting to escape, battery to a law enforcement officer and misdemeanor disorderly conduct. He is still awaiting sentencing in the murder-for-hire case.

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Officer fight

What they're saying:

According to a criminal complaint, Waukesha police officers and Waukesha County sheriff's deputies were called to a hospital after a deputy had "been struck." The deputy's face and uniform were bloody, and a hospital staff member was on the ground trying to restrain an inmate in an orange jumpsuit – since identified as Johannsen – when those officers and deputies arrived.

Waukesha County Sheriff's Department

Court filings said Johannsen punched the deputy, who then hit his head on a table as he fell to the ground. Johannsen was at the hospital for a medical appointment, and the deputy said Johannsen punched him as he began to reapply chains after the appointment.

The hospital staff member who restrained Johannsen told investigators, per the complaint, that Johannsen said "sorry about this" before he punched the deputy in the face. The staff member was not hurt. 

Murder-for-hire case

The backstory:

Johannsen concocted the plan with 29-year-old Nicholas Blandon while the two were in jail, according to prosecutors. Blandon was sentenced to probation for his role last month. 

Court filings said a Waukesha police detective was informed in late June 2024 that an inmate had information regarding a plan by Johannsen to kill his ex-fiancee.

Waukesha County Jail

The complaint said the inmate told authorities he heard a conversation between Johannsen and Blandon. While the inmate could not remember the specifics, he "knew it involved giving information on the location of a female." The inmate added that another inmate told him that Johannsen had paid or planned to pay Blandon $20,000 to kill the woman.

A second inmate told investigators the plan to kill Johannsen's ex-fiancee had been going on for about 40 days, per the complaint.

Detectives interviewed Blandon. In that conversation, the complaint states Blandon said he didn't know anything about a plan to kill Johannsen's ex-fiancee and claimed he and Johannsen "never talk."

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Prosecutors said law enforcement searched Blandon's jail cell and found a piece of paper with the ex-fiancee's name on it. When Blandon was asked about it, he said he was "trying to get money for his family," and claimed Johannsen only wanted to "scare her."

Blandon went on to say, per the complaint, that the plan was for him to go into the ex-fiancee's vehicle and "'do petty (expletive)' like take her purse." He said he "wrote down fake things" to make it seem like he would go through with the plan. He also claimed Johannsen never told him he wanted the woman killed. 

When asked about the $20,000 check, court filings said Blandon told detectives a friend picked it up and "all the money was spent."