Complaint: Fugitive Waupun cop was suicidal

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A former Waupun police officer accused of going on a burglary spree planned to kill himself in a northern Wisconsin cabin, according to a criminal complaint.

Prosecutors in Green Lake and Barron counties have charged Bradley Young with multiple crimes, including burglary, car theft and leading police on a high-speed chase. Burnett County prosecutors added a felony burglary count and a misdemeanor theft count to the list on Tuesday, according to online court records.

According to court documents, Young broke into a Berlin grocery store in June, a Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Markesan in July and a Town of Green Lake restaurant on Aug. 5.

A sheriff’s deputy spotted someone prosecutors believe was Young fleeing from the restaurant but he escaped in a cornfield. Young then stole a truck and drove north. A Barron County Sheriff’s deputy spotted the truck and gave chase. Young crashed the truck into a ditch and ran away. He then stole another car.

The Burnett County criminal complaint says that after Young eluded police in Barron County, he went to a family member’s cabin in Burnett County, where he planned to kill himself, Reporter Media reported.

But he couldn’t find a gun at the cabin. He left on a bicycle, found an unoccupied cabin and broke in. Inside he discovered a cellphone charger, a rifle and a bullet.

According to the complaint, Young told investigators he charged his phone and then put the rifle in his mouth with the safety off. He ultimately called 911 to turn himself in after he got a call from his mother and spoke with his children.

Young’s motives remain unclear. He resigned from the Waupun Police Department last week.

“We still have no clue why Brad would do this,” Deputy Chief Scott Louden told Reporter Media. “I think that’s the big question everyone has – what was the underlying reason for all of this?”

Online court records listed Young’s attorney as Allan Caplan. He didn’t immediately return a message Thursday morning.