Multi-County SWAT Teams Honored for 2023 Antigo Hostage Rescue

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team has been honored as a co-recipient of the “Co-SWAT Teams of the Year” award. The recognition is shared with tactical teams from Langlade, Marathon, and Oneida Counties for their coordinated response to a hostage situation in Antigo in June 2023. In that incident, a 41-year-old convicted felon took two young children hostage following a domestic dispute, prompting Antigo Police to request assistance from Langlade County, which then brought in additional support from the other agencies.

The nearly eight-hour standoff ended when tactical teams entered the home and safely rescued the children within seconds. The suspect barricaded himself further before eventually being taken into custody after several hours. He has since been sentenced to nine years in state prison, and the involved teams were later nominated for the award after records were unsealed.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office expressed pride in its Special Response Team and partner agencies for their dedication to training and their ability to work seamlessly together when mutual aid was needed.