Man Threatened to Kill Wife, Police, Complaint Says

A Waukesha man is accused of taking out a gun and threatening to shoot his wife after they argued about his demands to make him a pillowcase, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday in Waukesha County Circuit Court.

Weeks later, the man was arrested following a standoff near Comanche Lane. Authorities couldn’t locate his wife at the time and police asked the public to help locate her. She was later found safe at a relative’s home in Waukesha.

Kelly A. Shaw, 58, is charged with three domestic abuse-related misdemeanors: pointing a firearm at another person, and two counts of disorderly conduct with use of a dangerous weapon. He faces up to 27 months in jail and $12,000 in fines, if convicted of all three charges. He remains jailed in lieu of $2,000 bail.

Shaw was arrested Tuesday after police were told he threatened to kill his wife and would shoot at police if they responded to his home at 3001 E. View Court, according to the criminal complaint. Officers knew there were several firearms in the home, so they made many announcements for Shaw to exit the residence. After a four-hour standoff, he was taken into custody on a mental commitment.

Police searched the house and located multiple handguns, shotguns, an AK-47 rifle and gas masks, according to the complaint.

Authorities in the complaint say Shaw made homicidal and suicidal statements, including: “I wish I knew you were outside, I would be dead and, hopefully, two or three cops would be dead. I would have shot you if I knew you were outside. Put me in front of a firing line and just kill me. Just shoot me in the head. All this because of that (expletive) and I’m going to kill her.”

Shaw’s wife told authorities she left the residence at 10 p.m. Dec. 3 after Shaw held a gun to his head while they argued about a whirlpool they own, according to the complaint. She told police she has been afraid to call authorities because she fears he would involve officers in a shootout.

The woman told police that weeks before the standoff, Shaw brought out a gun and threatened to kill her and then himself when he was demanding she make him a pillow cover, according to the complaint. Shaw apologized for the threat the next day, she said.

Shaw’s wife told officers Shaw has threatened to kill many people, including an insurance man and an eyeglass store employee. Shaw answers their door with a gun in his hands and carries a gun on him at all times, she told police.

“(The woman) is most fearful that he will go out, become very angry and come to her work and do something to her and to other employees where she works,” the complaint states. “(The wife) stated the defendant has threatened to come and shoot everyone there.”