By Shereen Siewert
An initial report of a hostage situation involving multiple firearms on Wausau’s east side resulted in a major police presence in the 700 block of East Thomas Street, though police now say no such hostage situation took place.
Witnesses say multiple squad cars converged at about 1:30 p.m. near the intersection of East Thomas Street and Prospect. The scene was cleared about an hour later and police now say there is no danger to the public.
In a news release Wausau Police Lt. J. Phillips said officers secured the area and after a prolonged investigation arrested two people on a range of charges including obstruction, possession of drug paraphernalia and a probation hold. Officers remained on scene as of 4:30 p.m. as they conclude the investigation.
No names were released.
The incident is the third in recent days involving the report of a firearm in Wausau. On Wednesday, a 16-year-old Wausau East High School student was shot several blocks north of the YMCA between Third and Fifth Avenues, police said. Kaiden Bemowski, 20, is facing attempted homicide charges in Wednesday’s shooting, a situation officials are describing as drug related.
On Sept. 9, police responded to a report of gunfire in the 900 block of Washington Street. No one was injured in the Sept. 9 incident but two teens are in custody and facing charges in juvenile court. Their names are not being released due to their ages.
