Man who held gun to cable guy pleads to felonies

A 67-year-old Grafton man accused of holding a gun to the chest of a cable repair man and ordering him to leave his apartment, then sparking a standoff with authorities that forced the evacuation of nearby residents in March 2023 pleaded no contest to felony charges last week.

Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Steve Cain accepted the pleas and found Jon W. Freeland guilty of failing to comply with officers and second-degree recklessly endangering safety, both felonies, during a June 4 hearing.

A misdemeanor charge of pointing a gun at a person was dismissed.

Cain withheld a prison sentence on both felonies, placed Freeland on probation for three years and ordered him to serve 10 months in the county jail as a condition of probation.

Officers were called to Freeland’s home in the Arrowhead Apartments on Delaware Avenue in Grafton at 7:25 p.m. Saturday, March 25, 2023, by a Spectrum repairman, who told them he was working in a bedroom when he heard Freeland say, “Hey, get out of here” twice.

The repairman said he thought Freeland was talking to a dog that was in the apartment, but when Freeland repeated the command the man walked into the hallway to see what he wanted and saw him pick up a gun, according to a criminal complaint.

The man said Freeland told him to “get the (expletive) out,” charged at him and pressed the barrel of the gun against his chest while saying, “You should have been done an hour ago,” the complaint states.

According to the Grafton Police Department, the repairman said that when he turned to leave the apartment, Freeland held the gun to his back, then shoved him out the door.

While the repairman escaped uninjured, Freeland refused to leave his apartment when ordered to by police and at one point asked an officer who called him if he should come out with his Smith & Wesson or Beretta, referring to brands of guns.

Officers evacuated nearby apartment complex residents and notified negotiators and the Ozaukee County Special Response Team, according to the police department. Freeland surrendered at 9:40 p.m. the day of the incident.

During last week’s court hearing, Cain ordered Freeland to undergo an alcohol and drug abuse evaluation, participate in any treatment deemed necessary and to maintain absolute sobriety.