Complaint: Children Hit, Officer Attacked, Beer Stolen (and Returned)

A Waukesha man is charged with child abuse and battery to a police officer after police say he struck a neighbor's 5- and 3-year-old children, then shoved and threatened officers who responded to the scene. The entire incident started with a stolen 12-pack of beer.

Daniel G. Fife, 30, of Waukesha, was charged Tuesday with battery to a police officer, resisting an officer causing substantial bodily harm/soft tissue injury, two counts of child abuse and one count of resisting an officer.

If convicted, Fife faces up to 12 years and nine months in prison. He remains jailed in lieu of $5,000 bail.

According to the complaint:

A woman living on Big Bend Drive reported she took her neighbor to Pick 'n Save on East Sunset Drive on Sunday. When he attempted to get into her car with a stolen 12-pack of beer, she told police she sent him back inside to turn the beer over to a grocery store employee. After doing so, Fife wouldn’t leave her vehicle, she told police, so she gave him a ride back to their apartment complex.

The woman made a quick stop to drop items off at her friend’s residence and left her two children ages 5 and 3 in the vehicle with Fife and a friend. When she returned, she told police, her friend told her Fife hit her children.

Police interviewed the children and the 5-year-old girl said she was hit three times on the side of her head by Fife. The 3-year-old boy told police he also was hit in the head. The 5-year-old girl told police Fife was yelling, so she told him to shut up, which is when he hit her.

Police made contact with Fife, who appeared to be intoxicated. As they moved to arrest him, Fife took a “boxer-type stance” and shoved a police officer with both hands on her chest. The officer reported she had the wind knocked out of her and had trouble breathing after being violently pushed.

As the officers attempted to get Fife under control, Fife formed a fist and tried to punch a different officer in the face and lunged at a third officer, pushing that officer backward. Police used a taser, but it was not entirely successful in getting Fife to stop resisting. After Fife was handcuffed, he continued to kick his legs.

The officer who was nearly punched reported having a swollen left hand that was discolored. Although the hand was not broken, the police officer reported she would be on limited duty because of the injury.

Police interviewed another person in the residence, who told police Fife threatened to “slice the throats of the police officers and bust their heads” if they came to the building.