Man involved in Brooklyn tree dispute enters plea, must serve probation

BROOKYLN, Wis. (WMTV) - A man from the Village of Brooklyn charged with firing a gun and threatening to shoot people over a tree dispute has reached a plea agreement, court records show.

Paul Douglas, 75, pleaded no contest and was convicted of making terrorist threats. Douglas was previously charged with disorderly conduct and second-degree recklessly endangering safety, but both of those charges have since been dismissed.

The confrontation happened last month in the Village of Brooklyn and triggered a large-scale police and SWAT response. The incident began when Douglas called 911, claiming someone was stealing his tree and threatening to start shooting people if a deputy did not stop it, according to a criminal complaint against him.

Douglas at the time told the dispatcher that a responding deputy should wear a bulletproof vest, the transcript continued, “because s***’s going to happen today.”

Douglas posted a $4,000 signature bond for the two felonies, and a $1,000 cash bond for the misdemeanor disorderly conduct in February. Douglas must serve two years of probation and an order was entered to forfeit his gun, according to court records.

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