$1 million bail set for man charged in standoff

An Ozaukee County judge on Tuesday set bail at $1 million for Matthew K. Novak, the 37-year-old man who held authorities at bay for 38 hours at his Fredonia home earlier this month, and ordered him not to step foot in the Village of Fredonia — the community he terrorized by shooting high-powered guns and threatening to kill anyone who entered his house — if he is released from jail.

Judge Sandy Williams also ordered Novak, who after his May 10 arrest was held in a state mental health institution until being booked in the Ozaukee County Jail on May 22, to undergo a psychological evaluation to determine if he is competent to stand trial at the request of his attorney Andrew Flood.

Novak was charged Tuesday with six felonies — second-degree recklessly endangering safety, failure to comply with an officer’s attempt to arrest him, intentionally pointing a firearm at an officer and three counts of threatening officers.

“The defendant’s conduct had an extreme impact on the members of this community,” Ozaukee County District Attorney Benjamin Lindsay said during Novak’s May 27 initial court appearance while arguing for a $1 million bond and the provision that he not enter Fredonia. “I think there will be a considerable amount of fear if he is released.”

Prosecutors are required to keep victims of crimes apprised of court proceeding, and Lindsay said 19 people who live near Novak’s house at 139 Fox Glen Dr. are considered victims for that purpose because of what they dealt with during the standoff.

According to a criminal complaint, Novak, who Lindsay said repeatedly expressed disdain for law enforcement officers and the federal government, told authorities after his arrest that he wanted to die a martyr and was upset that the standoff was covered only by local news outlets, not the national media.

He also told investigators that he barricaded himself in a room that allowed him to watch for people entering his house, who he intended to kill if he considered them a threat, the complaint states.

Novak appeared for Tuesday’s hearing via video from the jail, and throughout much of it he gestured dramatically, at one point flipping the camera off. He appeared to be screaming at the camera, but his microphone was muted.

According to the complaint, an Ozaukee County sheriff’s deputy responded to the report of loud music and gunfire in the area of Novak’s house at 8:36 p.m. Thursday, May 8. Other deputies arrived to canvas the area, and at 10:14 p.m. one of them called Novak to ask if he was playing the music. Novak replied, “Oh yes, absolutely,” adding that he was also shooting guns and having a good time.

Novak also said, “So, I’m going to play some music, and if anyone comes around I shoot” before ending the call, the complaint states.

Officers left the area but returned after receiving a 911 call from a Fredonia resident who reported hearing a gunshot. At 10:58 p.m., deputies heard gunshots coming from the direction of Novak’s home.

Surveillance video from a neighbor’s home recorded as many as 100 gunshots coming from Novak’s house, including two bursts of 25 to 30 rounds, each in less than six seconds, according to the complaint.

A deputy launched a drone equipped with a camera and saw a man shooting a handgun and rifle from the back patio of Novak’s house.

During Monday’s hearing, Lindsay said Novak used photos of Democratic governors as shooting targets in his yard.

The Ozaukee County Special Response Team arrived at around 11:30 p.m., informed Novak he was under arrest and ordered him to leave his house, which Novak refused to do.

During a phone conversation with negotiators, Novak said he was armed with a handgun and rifle, made one of several references to having automatic guns, mentioned using drugs such as LSD, cocaine and marijuana and said he was ready to shoot. During other conversations with officers, Novak said he took “lots of LSD” as well as heroin, the complaint states.

Novak threatened to kill officers, made reference to having an AK-47 assault rifle and told a negotiator he had a rifle aimed “at your head with night vision,” according to the complaint.

Early Friday morning, May 9, a Saukville police officer saw Novak wearing night vision goggles and pointing a rifle at an armored vehicle occupied by officers, the complaint states.

At 4:39 a.m., authorities flew a drone into the house through the patio door and saw a rifle with a bipod on the kitchen counter before the drone became disabled. Another drone was flown into the house, providing video that showed several guns in the house before Novak knocked it down using a blanket.

At one point, Novak blocked his phone number, but authorities obtained a new number for him and during an expletive-riddled conversation with one deputy Novak said, “I got your children’s names and your wife. People die if you shoot more pepper gas ...,” according to the complaint.

During a briefing earlier this month, Ozaukee County Sheriff Christy Knowles said authorities, who knocked holes in Novak’s home so they could see him holed up on the second floor, eventually used an unmanned fire hose to blast him.

Novak later told officers that he had no intention of leaving his house and was willing to die there until he got cold from being sprayed with water, the complaint states.

At 10:47 a.m. Saturday, May 10, Novak came down the stairs and stood in the front doorway. He ignored the commands of officers and instead flipped them off. He was eventually shot in the leg with a “less lethal” beanbag round and arrested.

Novak’s home was seriously damaged during the standoff and had to be shored up by contractors before it could be searched. When authorities were able to enter the house on May 14, four handguns, nine rifles, ammunition that included armor-piercing rounds, night vision goggles, thermal optics and electronic devices were found, Knowles said.

Novak is scheduled to make his next court appearance on June 10, when Williams is expected to rule on his competency to stand trial.