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East side resident Robin Kurzer was working from home on a Thursday afternoon when she heard her Chihuahua, Lola, barking. It was around 3 p.m. on Nov. 30. When Kurzer went outside to investigate, she says “police were everywhere.”

“I took [Lola] out and was told to get back in my house. That’s when I started freaking out,” says Kurzer. “I wasn’t expecting my daughter home for a few hours but she could have decided to come home early for some reason. I was scared because I had no idea what she might be walking into here.”

Police were responding to a call that 38-year-old Christopher Hayden — who served in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan — had allegedly threatened someone with a gun outside his home on the 100 block of South Marquette Street. The street is a cul de sac close to Atwood and Fair Oaks avenues and connects to the Capital City Trail bike path.

East District Capt. Thomas Snyder says a neighbor had found Hayden’s dog running loose and went to return it when the veteran pulled a gun.

“The information we had was that a semi-automated weapon was pointed at [the victim]. They were clear and concise about that. We didn’t have any reason to doubt it,” Snyder says. “It was a completely unprovoked situation involving a good samaritan who didn’t have any kind of beef with [Hayden].”

The victim was not harmed during the exchange with Hayden.

As Kurzer watched police overrun her quiet street, she posted a message on the Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahara neighborhood Facebook page: “Hey there — something super fucked up is happening outside my house. Tons of cops.”

That one post kicked off a running dialogue where neighbors shared photos and information about the standoff from start to finish. The whole neighborhood was watching, fearing the worst — that someone would be tragically killed, fueling an already contentious debate about the use of police force.

Hayden eventually surrendered to authorities peacefully (his dog was taken to Dane County Humane Society and was not in the house during the standoff). But not before dozens of officers, police negotiators, a SWAT unit in full gear, two armored vehicles and two delivery robots were deployed to the quiet block. Neighbors witnessing the action firsthand, and listening to the police scanner via smartphone apps, delivered a play-by-play online as authorities prepared to storm the house while simultaneously trying to establish communication with Hayden.

The standoff offers a glimpse into how police react to these situations as well as how the public perceives police procedures and how neighborhoods come together in a crisis. In the end, most praised the police for bringing the hours-long standoff to a safe resolution.

“It was intense. I guess in the back of my head I was afraid there could be gunfire in the street,” Kurzer says. “It was a great comfort to be chatting with everyone as this situation played out. I was alone. But I didn’t feel alone.”

When the police officers arrived, their first priority was to establish a perimeter. Squad cars parked on adjacent streets and on the bike path to secure the area. The nearby Goodman Community Center was locked down. An automated call was put out informing nearby residents that police were responding to a potential gunman.

Snyder nervously contemplated various scenarios. “The Goodman Center is practically in this man’s backyard. When that initial call came in, it was around the time when kids are coming home from school. Kids are going to the center. There are lots of bikers on the bike path. It was tense and we didn’t know exactly what we were dealing with,” he says. “What if he gets out of the house? What if he gets into a car? What if he starts shooting?

“Once we got those SWAT personnel in place and we had better coverage,” he adds, “that’s when I was finally able to take a deep breath.”

Capt. James Patterson, who heads the department’s SWAT team, says more than 20 specially trained officers were at the scene, including tactical officers, snipers, negotiators, members of the Madison Fire Department's Tactical Emergency Medical Services Team and Dane County Sheriff’s Office SWAT.

Patterson tries to stay optimistic when the SWAT is called in. “But I got to be honest with you. Sometimes the way these things start to unfold, it’s human nature to think of all the potentially bad resolutions and prepare for the worst,” Patterson says. “Fortunately, we stayed the course, he cooperated and it worked out well.”

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Madison SWAT members positioned a towering, tank-like Armored Rescue Vehicle — a decommissioned military vehicle donated to the department in 2013 — in front of Hayden’s driveway to block in his truck, a possible means of escape. Snyder acknowledges that some in the community have criticized the department for using a hulking war machine in city streets. But he says the vehicle is needed precisely for situations like this standoff.

“I think the criticism is solely because it was previously a military vehicle and it looks offensive. But the truth is, it's only been used for defensive purposes [by MPD],” says Snyder, who notes that no weapons are mounted on the vehicle even though it has a turret. “We used it so the officers could get close, give verbal [commands] and not have to worry about their safety. It’s got a great PA system. It’s like a giant piece of body armor that officers can hide in and do what they need to do.”

Police used the vehicle’s PA to address Hayden every 10 minutes or so. One message was: "We are concerned about your welfare and safety." They also intermittently turned on the vehicle’s lights and siren. For the first few hours, the messages were met with silence from the man inside. Calls to his phone went to straight to voicemail. Meanwhile, SWAT members covertly surrounded the house to confirm Hayden’s location inside and to scout out possible means of entry.

“There was some talk initially of whether this was a situation where we completely de-escalate, pull away and deal with it later. But it was decided no, this was a dangerous situation and, at least at that time, we had an unstable individual. We didn’t think it was fair nor safe to just walk away,” Snyder says. “We did have discussions about deploying [tear] gas munitions to force him to come out. Many options were discussed by the tactical folks.”

As the night wore on, Kurzer noticed an undercurrent of fear on the neighborhood Facebook page. At several points, officers were heard on the police scanner talking about preparing “to go on the offensive.” In the final hour of the standoff, the Dane County Sheriff Office’s armored Bearcat vehicle, fitted with a metal battering ram on its front, was positioned a block away, in case an officer had to be rescued.

“People were praying, hoping, for a positive outcome,” says Kurzer. “But there have been several situations, in this neighborhood, where things did go tragically wrong in the not-so-distant past.”

Since 2012, there have been four officer-involved shootings on the near east side. Michael Schumacher, a 41-year-old man, was killed by police on Morrison Street in June 2016. Tony Robinson, 19, was killed on Williamson Street in March 2015. Londrell Johnson, 33, was killed on East Washington Avenue in May 2014. And 30-year-old Paul Heenan was killed on South Baldwin Street in November 2012. In all four cases, District Attorney Ismael Ozanne determined the officers acted lawfully and cleared them of any criminal negligence. But the city also paid millions to the families of Heenan and Robinson in civil settlements.

Josh Wimmer, a friend of Hayden’s who used to live next door to him on Marquette Street, was also following the neighborhood Facebook page. During the standoff, Wimmer suggested to the group that a combination of alcohol and post-traumatic stress disorder may explain Hayden’s erratic behavior. Wimmer, who has contributed to Isthmus, says his friend is a thoughtful, smart and caring person.

“If you know anything about PTSD and similar mental health issues, you know that the lizard brain takes over,” Wimmer tells Isthmus. “By the time a bunch of police cars and a tank are outside your house, your anxiety has skyrocketed and it's far more difficult to act reasonably than folks who've never experienced it can understand. Once [my wife and I] knew he hadn't hurt anyone, we just wanted Chris to get out alive. We kept thinking about his sons growing up without a dad, and our hearts were breaking — they are the best kids and we've seen how much he loves them.”

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Around 7 p.m., police obtained two prerecorded audio messages via email from Hayden’s loved ones (police asked Isthmus not to disclose their names). Snyder says it’s a safe way to bring people close to a suspect to the scene. The messages were broadcast out of the police department’s armored vehicle. This, finally, got Hayden’s attention.

“He did seem upset by the messages. Sometimes it has a calming effect, that was not the case this time,” Snyder says. “But ultimately it had the desired effect to get him to start talking to us.”

Shortly after the second audio message was played, officers could be heard on the scanner saying Hayden had opened a second story window and was shouting “multiple vulgarities directed toward police.” The officer said Hayden was “extremely agitated” and warned them not to enter his home stating “officers would not leave if they entered.”

But communication had been established, which is the first step in resolving dangerous standoffs, according to Patterson.

“The main goal is to start talking to the person,” he says. “Even if it didn’t start off all that good, it was absolutely a good sign because it’s showed that he was now willing to engage with us. Even if it wasn’t to exchange pleasantries.”

Hayden asked for a pack of Camel Blue cigarettes and a cellphone, Snyder says. Two tactical robots, one owned by the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, were readied to deliver the items. This created a buzz on the neighborhood Facebook page. One commenter posted “It’s a trap to lure him out for a clean shot.” Others encouraged the group to give police the benefit of the doubt.

But the plan to use a robot to enter Hayden’s residence was ditched after it was determined the remote-controlled device would have trouble scaling the front steps of the residence. Initially, police also bought the wrong brand of cigarettes, which further frustrated Hayden.

“It was decided that officers would, as tactifully as possible, make the delivery of cigarettes and a cellphone. We were so anxious to get him calmed down. We wanted to give him what he had requested and we wanted to make that link,” says Snyder, who notes the officer placed the items on Hayden’s front porch. “He was definitely going through a personal crisis.

“Once he started talking on that phone, he was really upset,” he adds. “He was mad. He was frustrated. He was not happy about the situation he was in. He was very emotional. And the goal of the negotiators is to try to get someone more rational. It takes time. But we obviously wanted to resolve the situation peacefully.”

Not long after the right brand of cigarettes arrived and Hayden started talking on the cell phone, SWAT negotiators were able to convince him to surrender. Shortly before 10 p.m., Hayden came out of the house, unarmed, and was transported directly to Veterans Hospital.

“The entire team did a great job. But this one really highlighted the efforts of our negotiators. A lot of the training scenarios, especially in the last couple of years, have been incorporating our mental health officers and professionals from Journey Mental health,” Patterson says. “Even if someone doesn’t have a diagnosed mental illness, when there is a crisis situation just having that insight at-the-ready is invaluable.”

On Wednesday Dec. 6, Hayden was booked into the Dane County Jail and charged with second-degree reckless endangering safety and failure to comply. After the standoff, Snyder says officers found a loaded 9 mm handgun, a loaded semi-automated weapon and several rifles in the residence.

“He has a tough road ahead,” Wimmer says, “But the alternative would have been so much worse.”

When neighbors heard that Hayden was safe, the Facebook page was flooded with comments of relief and gratitude. Wimmer thanked the group for remembering “that there was a human being in crisis … instead of just a bad guy with a gun.”

“I really, really love how thoughtful and compassionate this conversation was during a scary, tense time,” Wimmer wrote. “I’m truly relieved that MPD was so patient.”

After the standoff, the Facebook group began discussing ways to support Hayden, including delivering meals to his girlfriend.

Snyder heard that the neighborhood page was “blowing up” during the standoff but he hasn’t read the comments. He is pleased with how MPD handled the situation and proud of how the community responded.

“It was a scary situation. People aren’t used to seeing cops with long guns and big trucks coming in,” Snyder says. “But it was a very contained, controlled scene.”

After the hoopla, Kurzer was able to take Lola out for a proper walk. She says she chatted with two officers who stuck around after Hayden was taken to the VA.

“They seemed eager to talk about it, like they were decompressing from the whole event. They asked if I had any questions. I was like, well actually, we kind of know what’s going on because we have been talking about it on Facebook for hours,” Kurzer says, laughing. “Madison is a place where we take care of each other. I’ve always felt that. And we cared about our neighbor who was in crisis.”