Edit Transcript

Language

Format

Source

Auto-generated

Yes

Confidence

Content

Stop it right now. >> This weekend as a welfare check, all these deputies wanted was to speak with this man after his daughter raised concerns about his well-being, but the decision he just made immediately turns this routine call into a life or death situation. >> Stop it right now. I JUST WANT TO >> THE incident begins on the afternoon of June 16th, 2023, when a concerned daughter calls the Vernon County Sheriff's Office emergency line from a home in Genoa, Wisconsin, reporting that she feared something was seriously wrong with her father and requested a welfare check. The woman told dispatch that the last time she had seen her father, 61-year-old William Boardman, was nearly 6 months earlier in December 2022. She explained that he had a long history of methamphetamine use that never sat right with him as he became paranoid after its use. He had even been hospitalized in California years earlier because of his addiction, but according to her, the treatment never helped [music] and he had since been going crazy. >> Um I do know I think one of our deputies was in contact with him a couple days ago, but that's as far as I know. We can have someone go down there. >> As a deputy arrives at William's residence, he is already familiar with him, having previously arrested William for an OWI offense. He also learns that just 2 days before this call, one of the department's sergeants had been involved in a vehicle pursuit with William, who managed to escape. But what the deputy doesn't know is that today, William has no intention of cooperating. >> Get out of my house. >> Hey, William. >> take them out. >> Hey, William, why don't you hold up for 1 second and explain to me what's going on. >> Uh they left supposedly >> a second while I talk to you? >> They left supposedly. I want their ass out. They my house up. They have up my all my tractors, my vehicles, everything. I want them out of here. >> Who Who's they? Just those two? >> The up there. >> Hey, William, where are you going? >> I'm going to go try and find a hat and some underwear that I can wear. That they stole all my clothes. >> Are you just Are you grabbing it out of this truck up here? All right. Well, I'm just going to come Is that okay if I walk with you? >> Go ahead. You can check every damn thing you want. >> Well, I don't need to look through anything. >> Well, what are you doing? What do you want to go to the truck for if you're not going to check it? >> Oh, I just want to make sure you're not going anywhere. >> Why? I got a driver's license. I'm legal. Uh insurance >> everything >> But William, with what I just walked up on, I want to know what's going on. >> I want them to leave. >> Okay. >> Simple as that. I'm not doing anything. in my house sleeping. >> Okay. >> I can't find my hat, can't find my underwear. They sold everything. The only reason the grass is cut is cuz they did it with a damn push mower because they up my tractor. >> Okay. >> They turned off the electricity. They got electricity cuz they switched it in their name and shut mine off. I'm sick of this. >> And they they sold all your stuff, like your underwear? >> Yes, they did. You You're aware of it. Don't play stupid. I'm done with >> The daughter tells the deputy that she arrived at the property only 10 minutes earlier, and people living in a separate trailer on William's property had left with their camper just before she got there. But despite them being gone, William insisted the neighbors were flying drones over his property and placing cameras inside his home. According to his daughter, William was exhibiting extreme paranoia and needed to be committed to a hospital as he also believed that even law enforcement was part of the group harassing him. >> like they because I know. The back door or the indoor. Go to the indoor or outdoor. I'm insane. >> So >> insane. >> Do you feel like there's something mental on or not drugs or anything? >> While speaking with the daughter, the deputy learns more about William and the events that led to his deteriorating mental health. William lived alone on disability benefits, but his life had not always been this way. In 2003, his father suffered fatal injuries after attempting to start a fire using accelerants in a wood-burning stove inside the house. William managed to put out the initial fire, but his father died from his injuries 2 weeks later. Nearly a decade later, tragedy struck again. In 2012, after leaving the house following an argument with his mother and going out drinking, William returned to find the home engulfed in flames once more. This time, his mother died from smoke inhalation. Her death changed him completely, and according to his daughter, William blamed himself for what had happened. Soon afterward, William, who had never previously been known to use drugs, began using methamphetamine heavily, and his mental health steadily deteriorated. But now, as William attempts to leave the property, the deputy has no idea that simply trying to get him to stop and have a conversation will eventually spiral [music] completely out of control. >> Um for right now, can you guys maybe take off? Cuz that's kind of what he's requesting, and uh I'll try and talk to him and I have I'm not entirely sure what's going >> They ain't taking me up, and I ain't going to jail in here. >> Well, I have no intention on arresting you. I ain't talking to you. >> I ain't doing a thing wrong. Motorcycle parts changed, shocks are rotten. And goddamn suspenders are off. I'm sick of it. >> So, William, I told them they're going to take off right now. >> Yeah, thanks. >> Can we maybe have a conversation, please, William? >> Yeah. Get out of my ass. >> Well, I Can you Can you explain the situation to me? How You said they're uh You >> Do your hand and wand and all that This old lady coming >> Okay. >> my ass and putting me up and >> Okay, who's this? >> now? >> Yeah. >> Sounds crazy, don't it? >> I don't know the whole situation. That's why I'm if you could explain it to me. >> Yeah. >> Excuse me. >> Yeah. >> I got to get some food cuz my refrigerator's electric. >> William, what's William, what's going on? >> I don't need You know it all. >> No, and that's William. >> Don't know it all. >> William. Then I can't >> make a report cuz you guys won't open up your door. >> Excuse me. >> That's why >> Excuse me. >> Please, officer. >> William. >> You are stopping me from going on my property and I'm not doing nothing wrong. So, I've got to go. >> You're >> I'm low on gas. I got to put gas in. >> William. I need to talk to you. I'm asking. Please, talk to me. >> No. >> Is there a reason you don't want to? >> Excuse me. Excuse me. >> As the deputy radios that William is leaving the property, another deputy patrolling nearby spots his truck almost immediately. >> Is that black truck? >> Yeah, he's headed north bound on 35 right now. If you can try and get a stop on him, but I have a feeling he's going to take off on you. >> 23 Vernon, I'm attempting a stop right now, lights and sirens. It's like we're pulling over here just off of Genoli Road. >> All right. So, he Someone else has pulled him over. I'm going to take take off up there, okay? >> I copy. I'm going to be en route up there. >> Go ahead and see your hands. I was asked to stop you for a minute. What's going on? Go ahead and shut your truck off there for me. >> Can you please explain that to me? And well, then why don't you Why don't you hand me the keys for right now? Well, I don't want to arrest you. Are you saying you want Are you saying you want to go to jail? Can you tell me what happened? Can you have Tell me what happened with your daughter when I was pulling up? Okay, you're not sure. Okay, well, I just I mean, I understand she was in your house. pissed off and you know underwear no pants So, when I when I pulled up your daughter came outside crying. I mean, I understand they were >> [laughter] >> They were on your property and you wanted them to leave. >> Yeah, and I want them to stay off. >> Okay, what was said? >> I walked away off. >> You just walked away. Okay, yeah, I mean, that's what you were doing when I pulled up. You're walking away. Well, I mean, you were there. Why are they Why did they shut your electricity off? >> Out of here, boys. Okay? You could deprogram me at uh gas station. I'm not going nowhere cuz I'm not against the law. >> give me your keys? >> You're against the law. Give me your keys. >> Give me your keys. Right now. >> You're going to have to take them. >> I'm asking you for them. >> And I'm telling you you're going to have to take them. >> Okay. You're going to try to drive away? >> No, I'll try and drive your nose through your face. >> Is that a threat? >> I'm sick of it. >> Is that a threat? No, it's not a threat. Not a threat at all. >> That is a promise. >> Oh, okay. >> You're not the law. You're a bottom law. And I'm not going to go. >> Okay. So, what do you have for him? >> I'm just trying to talk to him to understand what's going on. >> As tensions rise, one of the deputies does his best to de-escalate the situation and convince William to speak [music] with them, but William has already made up his mind and the situation is about to take an unexpected turn. >> I'm going to go get gas and leave and get some food. >> You're not free to leave. Get your keys out of your ignition. Seriously? >> No. >> Oh Get out of the >> Oh my god. >> STOP IT RIGHT NOW. STOP IT RIGHT NOW. >> ONCE WILLIAM SPEEDS AWAY WITH A DEPUTY hanging onto the running board of his truck, surveillance cameras from nearby businesses capture him driving at highway speeds directly into oncoming traffic showing no intention to stop. >> STOP IT RIGHT NOW. STOP IT. YOU. GOD DAMN IT. STOP. STOP IT RIGHT NOW. JESUS CHRIST, WILLIAM. GET OUT. GOD DAMN IT. 43 SHOTS FIRED. AH. JESUS. DUDE. GOD DAMN IT. >> [screaming] >> HE TOOK OFF WITH ME ON THE VEHICLE AND REFUSED TO STOP. Refused to stop. Uh we had a 10-50 here he hit 20's vehicle. >> He's out. He's out. >> Shots fired? >> Shots fired, dude. >> Did you call shots fired? >> Yes. I don't know if they heard it. Yeah, they got it. >> Did you get EMS? Driving right into traffic. Do Do we have Can we apply pressure or anything? Do you have gauze? I got I got a first aid kit. I can't get into the rear of my car. Hey, do you have gauze? Something. >> nothing. I have nothing. 23 18 EMS here stat. >> Come on, dude. Come on. You got anything You can't get in your trunk? >> get in the rear of my vehicle. >> Here, let's There's got to be something we could stuff it. Here. Help me pull him out. >> Help me pull him out. >> Jesus Christ. >> Run back to my car. We can get the first aid out of it. It's in the trunk. Maybe empty. Showing up on scene. >> Despite the deputy's efforts and immediate medical attention from EMS, William was pronounced deceased at the scene. Investigators later found a pocket knife in William's pocket, along with a clear pipe containing residue and a lighter, suggesting he may have been under the influence during the encounter. That same night, the Wisconsin DOJ's Division of Criminal Investigation took over the officer-involved shooting investigation. During his interview, the deputy said that despite serving in combat overseas, he had never before found himself begging someone to stop a moving vehicle and feared for his life throughout the incident. He also explained that he did not want to use deadly force, but William left him no choice. [music] The deputy also suffered injuries to his elbow and ribs while hanging onto the side of William's truck during the incident. Investigators ultimately concluded that the deputy's use of deadly force was legally justified and no action was taken against him. Unfortunately, what began as an attempt to get William to help his family believed he desperately needed instead ended in a tragedy that no one involved had expected.

Cancel