STATUS REPORT: Richland County Standoff

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Reporter: Evrod Cassimy
Email Address: ECassimy@nbc15.com

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UPDATE: Sunday, May 18, 2008 -- 5:40pm

A man accused in day-long standoff with deputies, last month, in Viola wouldn't talk directly about whether he fired a gun.

But, 60-year-old Bob Bayliss did tell the Wisconsin State Journal of his growing disenchantment with county government.

Bayliss faces nine felonies, including attempted homicide, after the standoff that ended after an exchange of gunfire, deployment of tear gas and a fire at his 18-acre property April third.

In an interview at the Richland County Jail, he said his growing disenchantment with county government stemmed from two incidents.

One was a road-widening project that resulted in the loss of his well, which forced him to spend the past several years filling big blue plastic barrels with water from springs and friend's sources. And the second was a visit by Richland County authorities in 2000 to deliver a tax delinquency notice for taxes he said he had already paid.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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UPDATE Wednesday, April 9 --- 8:50am

VIOLA, Wis. (AP) -- Attempted homicide charges have been filed against a Richland County man accused in a shootout with sheriff's deputies.

The attempted homicide charges are among nine filed against Robert Bayliss.

The 60-year-old man who authorities say has "strong anti-government attitudes" surrendered after a daylong standoff last Thursday -- but not before an exchange of gunfire, deployment of tear gas and a fire at his cabin in rural Viola.

The dispute had started four days earlier when some deputies tried to serve Bayliss with a lawsuit seeking to evict him for failure to pay property taxes dating back to 2001.

Deputies used special armored vehicles when they tried to serve legal papers last week. The vehicles' thick, bullet-proof windshields are marked with gunshots.

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UPDATED Friday --- April 4, 2008 -- 4:05pm

New details have been released Friday about the standoff situation near Viola on Thursday.

The suspect, Robert Bayliss, is currently being held in the Richland County Jail.

Authorities say when they tried to disarm him Thursday he began throwing explosive devices.

At that point a fire broke out from inside his residence, possibly caused by the homemade grenades.

Bayliss is currently facing several charges including 2 counts of first degree attempted homicide.

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UPDATED Thursday --- April 3, 2008 --- 9:28pm

"It's shocking actually," says Joseph Brannan as authorities close off the street near his home.

An armed standoff with police finally comes to an end with no injuries and the suspect in custody. But some neighbors are still trying to piece together the details of what happened less than a mile away from from their home.

"I wasn't home when this started and when I got home it was already in progress."

Police were trying to contact 61 year old Robert Bayliss on Monday at his home on County Highway G near Viola. They say he shot at officers when they served him with lawsuit papers for owing more than 5 thousand dollars in back taxes on his 18 acre property, money authorities say hasn't been paid since 2001. Now on Thursday, three days later, authorities finally have him in custody.

"We did have the area being watched and monitored constantly throughout that time period," says Richland County Sheriff Department lieutenant, Bob Frank. "It was during that time period that we build the base that we needed to and get a hold of the people we thought we need to to start finding the solution."

After a nearly 9 hour standoff with authorities the home Bayliss was hiding in caught fire and a thick cloud of smoke could be seen billowing from the home for miles in nearby cities.

"I've been staying in because I don't want to get in their way," says Brannan. "I think most of us like to think that things like this don't happen to us but unfortunately no body is safe from this sort of thing."

Once the fire started, Bayliss surrendered. He's currently held in custody as the investigation continues.
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UPDATED Thursday --- April 3, 2008 --- 7:20pm

Wis. man surrenders after standoff over land dispute

VIOLA, Wis. (AP) -- A landowner known to have "strong anti-government attitudes" has surrendered after a day long standoff with authorities at Viola in Richland County.

Authorities say officers tried to contact the man through the day, and when they tried again in the afternoon, they were fired upon and returned fire, as well as deploying tear gas.

As the operation was going on, a fire started in the home, and soon after that, 60-year-old Robert Bayliss surrendered and was taken into custody of the Richland County Sheriff's Department.

No one was injured.

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UPDATED: Thursday --- April 3, 2008 -- 5:28pm

A stand-off is going on between several departments and a landowner in Richland County on Thursday afternoon.

It's bringing together departments from all over Southern Wisconsin.

NBC-15's Evrod Cassimy is near the scene and says the armed stand-off has now turned into a structure fire.

Thursday night, the home where Robert Bayliss was hiding from authorities caught fire and now clouds of black smoke can be seen billowing from the Village of Viola.

Police say the man inside, Robert Bayliss, shot at officers when they tried to serve him lawsuit papers on Monday for money he owed in back-taxes.

Thursday, 3 days later, tactical response teams from Dane, Vernon, LaCrosse and Richland Counties have finalized a plan and as of 9:00 am began attempting to disarm him.

County Highway G is completely closed off and although there is no immediate threat to the public, one home has been evacuated.

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Posted Thursday --- April 3, 2008 --- 4:25pm

Tactical officers raid rural Richland County property

VIOLA, Wis. (AP) -- Authorities say a landowner known to have strong anti-government attitudes is in a standoff with police today after firing shots at officers four days earlier.

Richland County Sheriff Darrell Berglin says tactical officers from Vernon, La Crosse and Richland counties are involved in the standoff at a rural Viola home.

The county's corporation counsel, Benjamin Southwick, says the dispute started Monday when deputies tried to serve 60 year-old Robert Bayliss in a lawsuit seeking to evict him for failure to pay property taxes back to 2001 on his home and 18 acres.

Southwick says the county took ownership of the land last November for the unpaid taxes.

According to the county treasurer's office, Bayliss owes $5,647 in delinquent taxes and interest on the land and has not paid the taxes for 7 years.

Authorities say SWAT officers used an armored vehicle to try to serve a search warrant and arrest warrants at the home today but they encountered shots and ended up in a standoff.

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Posted Thursday --- April 3, 2008 --- 1:15pm

Tactical officers raid rural Richland County property

TOWN OF FOREST, Wis. (AP) -- Tactical officers from Vernon, La Crosse and Richland counties are involved in a standoff at a rural property in northwestern Richland County.

SWAT officers used an armored vehicle to serve a search warrant and arrest warrants at a residence in the Town of Forest in southwest Wisconsin.

Richland County Sheriff's Lieutenant Bob Frank says officers were shot at while trying to serve papers at the home on Monday.

So, deputies from the three counties developed a plan and then raided the property early Thursday.

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Posted by: E on May 20, 2008 at 08:33 AM
guy, part of this taxation went toward schools which in turn educate people to be better suited for society than say...Mr Bayliss. Here we try to put and end to ignorance. In Bayliss' case I think he choose ignorance.

Posted by: Lee on May 19, 2008 at 03:31 PM
Bill, sounds like you are defending the actions of Bayliss. There is more than enough evidence to prove that he shot at the officers. All Bayliss had to do was pay his taxes but instead he decided to make up his own "laws". He is a menace to society and was very lucky that he was not killed at the standoff. I fully commend the actions of the officers involved. It was not the government who took things too far, it was Bayliss 100%. He chose not to pay his taxes. He chose to break the law. He chose to shoot at the officers. He chose his fate. Now he must live with his consequences. Stop feeling sorry for this worthless piece of garbage.

Posted by: Sam Democrat on May 19, 2008 at 02:50 PM
Lets face it now that he is apprehended its one less idiot with a gun and a mission that we have to worry about killing people and acting a fool! If you dont like it move to Haiti and than tell me how bad your life was when you were an American! Get a clue folks!

Posted by: jj on May 19, 2008 at 02:08 PM
I'm sure we would all want to live like this. Have the goverment send you a check so you can eat and pay no taxes for the land you live on. Bill, How do you know who's lying? Were you there? Please, Tell us how it all happened.

Posted by: Bill on May 19, 2008 at 01:48 PM
Another Example Of Government going WAY to FAR! especially the Lies about him opening Fire on Police! for God sakes they destroyed his home! put Those Police should be the ones to stand trial!

Posted by: guy on May 19, 2008 at 12:25 PM
I agree if you owe the tax, pay it. But, we did leave England for many reasons but the main one was taxation without representation. It seems our politicians are forgetting about this. Yes, this guy does deserve some prison time for his actions but I do understand his dislike for the government. And, by the way, this is America and all peoples are entitled to their opinions. Don't always agree, but it is what makes our country great!

Posted by: C on May 19, 2008 at 11:14 AM
I think he can live cheaper in prison than on his property. As cost of living and big government over-runs the little guys expect to see more of this in the future. It's not a bad gig either, stop paying your bills, have a little standoff with the cops and voila, free room and board!

Posted by: Anonymous on May 18, 2008 at 10:18 PM
So why didn't he go buy bottled water and then go to the tax office and ambush the employees there? That would have been easy enough.

Posted by: Uncle Sam on May 18, 2008 at 05:54 PM
Mr. Bayliss needs to pay the piper by sitting in prison for a long time! You dont shoot at cops and you do not be delinquent on your taxes! The sad part is now its going to cost us all over$40,000.00 a year to house, feed and give this idiot medical attention! If you dont like the government there is surely other ways to address that without having a shootout with the police! His butt is lucky he made it out of there alive!

Posted by: Eagle on Apr 10, 2008 at 01:32 PM
"s" 1000's of people don't like Taxes and 1000's of Police officers don't like to get shot at. What's your point? "Babs" when you find a better way to do things write the Sheriff's Dept and let them know or maybe add a solution to your complaint. And the answer to your question..."What did it cost the county?"....It didn't cost any lives!!

Posted by: Anonymous on Apr 9, 2008 at 07:24 PM
Why do you think that they are lying? What are they going to gain from that. They were doing there job. They did what they had to do. Do you really think that they decided to wake up thursday morning and go to work to possibly be killed? Come on! These men and women have families, children, and spouses. It's not like they didn't have other cases to work on. They have no reason to lie. So maybe before you go and make judgment on the officers and the charges that were filed you need to know the rules and regulations that they must follow in a situation like this. Do you think you could've done a better job? What do youthink you would do if you were shot at? Who would be the first person you would call to help you if you were shot at? I bet it would be the police. The same men and women that got this dangerous man out of society for awhile. Just think about that for a second. If they are so bad and such liers, why do you need them when you need help?

Posted by: Goose on Apr 9, 2008 at 05:43 PM
BBF, I agree with you whole heartedly. The facts often get overshadowed by people's opinions. Bayliss brought the whole situation on himself.

Posted by: Goose on Apr 9, 2008 at 04:21 PM
Amen BBF.

Posted by: BBF on Apr 9, 2008 at 02:09 PM
As I read this comments, I see some of you don't know what you are talking about. On monday, the deputies were shot at, there are more charges to come. The raid on thursday was not just for the tax problem but the fact he tried to kill deputies on monday! Bayliss is mentally ill, ask some residents of Viola. Bayliss does not "believe" in any form of government. He also has a "wild west" mentality which is dangerous to everybody not just police. Could you imagine being in a car crash and walking to his house for help? You would be shot for walking up to his home. What kind of society accepts such behavior? Well maybe Texas, but this is Wisconsin. Don't let what you THINK you know confuse your judgement, get the facts first!

Posted by: Anonymous on Apr 9, 2008 at 11:25 AM
This guy has a problem with more than the government. He acts that way so he can chase his real love, drugs and alcohol. If he has a problem with government, he should not be allowed to drive on the roads. If you don't like how much you have to pay for taxes, get involved in the government. And, don't stand there with your hand out or say, "You know, somebody should pick up that garbage over there!" Save the city some money and help pitch in. We are passing the cost of living on to the elderly and working families because we let it run like a lottery!

Posted by: ginger on Apr 6, 2008 at 07:22 PM
Look my grandson,is a police officer,out there.let one of your kids do this,see if you stand up for the cops then,I ask god to look after him all the time,you talk about taxs.they are helping you stop runing them down,if you dont like it you go see what they have to go though ever day,you would not last one day,grandson wesley,thanks for helping people,you all should say thanks for all they do.sure you can find all kinds of stuff to complain abouth,thats ok,I WILL SAY THANKS ALL POLICE OFFICERS FOR WHAT YOU DO.grandmother ginger

Posted by: o on Apr 4, 2008 at 08:54 PM
reconcile these reports-they say they were shot at on Monday. The WI Circuit Court Access records for case #2008CF000043 filed Thursday am says "Intentionally Point Firearm at Law Enforcement Officer" nothing about discharging a firearm. Wouldn't they have put that in the complaint if it had happened to strengthen their position? (I know that's not the right thing to do but if they are lying on that, what else are they lying about?

Posted by: R J on Apr 4, 2008 at 07:04 PM
Where is Janet Reno when we need her? She would have at least saved us the expense of a trial. We could have had a cook-out and a wake combined.

Posted by: D on Apr 4, 2008 at 01:14 PM
Hey Babs - Would you rather they left him to start shooting other people? Once a Law Enforcement officer is shot at do you think they are just going to go away? Are they suppose to say, look at that he shot at us we better leave. Wake up, this guy was an obvious threat. Who knows who he would have gone after if he got out. What do you want them to do? Walk in while being shot at and hope they take him into custody? Maybe you should do a ride along and see what Officers actually do before you talk stupid. Who cares what it cost the county. What would it cost the county if an Officer was killed or an innocent bystander? It is comments like that from people like you that really turn peoples stomachs.

Posted by: Babs on Apr 4, 2008 at 09:05 AM
I guess what I don't understand about this, is why use our tax dollars for 4days to finally take this man into custody. Just what did this cost the county? Seems like it was not handled properly.

Posted by: s on Apr 4, 2008 at 08:39 AM
Ya, go figure the moderator did not allow my original response. Tax tax tax tax. This guy was obviously fed up with it as are 1000's and 1000's of others.

Posted by: some sense on Apr 4, 2008 at 07:36 AM
No need to shoot at someone for bringing you court papers. Attempted homocide is his real problem.

Posted by: Julia on Apr 3, 2008 at 11:01 PM
This was a planned response by law enforcement? Then why did the Dane County Sheriff's Department need to travel to Richland County at a high rate of speed with lights and sirens? I was scared to death that something horrendous had happened and was concerned about my family after I met the convoy of disaster response vehicles and squads. I am very glad that this nut case has been taken into custody, too bad that they can't throw away the key. It's not likely that he will be rehabilitated while locked up, he still won't want to participate in society's rules.

Posted by: T on Apr 3, 2008 at 05:49 PM
What a total loser. Everybody has problems. Financial, medical. I have health insurance and I'm being denied a back surgery I need. If this guy was going to shoot people, at least GO AFTER THE PEOPLE WHO DIRECTLY HURT YOU..

Posted by: Laurie on Apr 3, 2008 at 05:25 PM
government is worried about where the money for my retirement will be, but yet get behind in your taxes and look out,We pay a=our retirement for years and don't pay your land taxes for a few who knows who will be knocking at your door. Go figure