Antigo Police squad cars. Image courtesy: WAOW TV
ANTIGO, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – Bond has been set at $1 mill for 41-year-old Roger Houton, who is accused of barricading himself inside a home with a weapon during a domestic disturbance.
Houton is accused of holding some children hostage during the situation and threatening to shoot officers. Tactical teams were able to free the children. He eventually surrendered.
Court action against him is pending.
Antigo Police Chief Dan Duley discussed the process for bringing situations like this to a peaceful conclusion with WAOW TV. “There were negotiations that went on throughout the night with him to try to get him to release the children. Members of the tactical teams did start making an entry and went in an rescued the children, and the subject further barricaded himself.”
But how do police train for a hostage situation? Duley says they go through extensive training so they can make sure that both themselves and the hostages are safe.
Duley said, “Our officers start off with a week-long, or a couple day-long training for tactical operations. From there, they do monthly training within our own team.”
He said at the end of the day, getting hostages out is always priority number one once the officers arrive. At the end of the day, the children were rescued unharmed, and Houton was arrested.
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