West Allis man threatened to blow up Waukesha courthouse and more: complaint

WAUKESHA, Wis. - Carter Smale, 34, of West Allis is charged with threat to a law enforcement officer and threat to a judge after prosecutors say he threatened to blow up the Waukesha County Courthouse and more, upset over a domestic violence case involving his ex.

Smale is accused of threatening the officer who arrested him for property damage-domestic abuse in Delafield and the judge who presided over his case and released him on a signature bond.

Witnesses told police he had plans and materials to build bombs. 

Carter Smale

When Smale didn't show up to court in a different case, a tip led New Berlin police to a neighborhood off Greenfield Avenue where he was arrested May 7. A criminal complaint says New Berlin police were contacted on May 8 about documents that talked about how to create IEDs found at the home. In a backpack with the documents, investigators found shotgun shells and .22 caliber ammunition. Someone at the house told police Smale had drawings of the Waukesha County Courthouse and took pictures of it about a year prior. This person said Smale also threatened an officer who had been involved in a prior call with him.

This person said after Smale's first court hearing in the case involving his ex-girlfriend, he began making threats and joking that he would kill "the (expletive) who arrested him," mentioning the officer, and he also talked about wanting his ex-girlfriend and her family "gone." The witness said after seeing the documents about the explosives, along with zip ties, rope and duct tape, he "feared the jokes about wanting to kidnap women on the street may come true."

Another person at the home said Smale had acids and aluminum powder to make explosives. The complaint says this person told investigators that Smale had threatened to blow up the Waukesha County Courthouse using a bomb he made out of a motorcycle engine, upset about the judge and case involving his ex-girlfriend.

Waukesha County Courthouse

On May 3, this person said he was with Smale, and as they drove by the officer's home, Smale said, "I'll kill that (expletive) someday," upset that he was cited for firing a gun in April 2021. Smale also mentioned that the officer had police patrolling her house because of him, prosecutors say. This witness added that Smale said he planned to blow up the Delafield police station using an aluminum motorcycle engine after the Waukesha sheriff's station and Waukesha County courthouse, threatening to kill his ex, her mom, his ex's boyfriend, the judge, prosecutors and any police.

Officers searched Smale's home and didn't find any materials used to make explosives.

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After Smale was arrested on May 7 on the outstanding warrants, prosecutors say he denied writing any of the bomb-making materials and denied having explosives. He did say that he had training to make IEDs due to being a former Marine.

The complaint says Smale denied threatening the judge or the courthouse, telling investigators, "Even if I did say something, so what."

Prosecutors say he denied even knowing who the judge was in the case in which he's charged with criminal damage to property, domestic abuse. This, despite the fact that prosecutors say Smale appeared before the judge until April when he stopped coming to court and a warrant was issued.