Community Corner
Suspect, Victim Identified in Pritchard Park Suicide
Police have identified Dean Knudtson as the man who is suspected of shooting Michael Darracott several times before killing himself in Pritchard Park.
**Updated 3 p.m.
Police have released the name of a 42-year-old man who police say shot himself in a car in Pritchard Park Tuesday night after first shooting a man several times in Pleasant Prairie.
Dean L. Knudtson, of Somers, is believed to have shot Michael Darracott, 44, who was reportedly dating Knudtson's ex-wife, according to a story from The Journal Times. Knudtson then drove to Pritchard Park - at Ohio Street and Durand Avenue - and killed himself.
At 8:52 p.m. Tuesday, Racine County dispatch received a call from Knudtson, who said he was armed with a gun at Pritchard Park. He described the area he was in as well as provided a description of his vehicle and said he would shoot himself when police arrived.
Squads from the Racine and Mount Pleasant police departments with deputies from the Racine County Sheriff's Department arrived on scene and quickly located Knudtson's vehicle. Shortly thereafter, officers reported hearing a gunshot and seeing a muzzle flash from inside the car, said RCSD Deputy Brian Zimmerman.
Racine County Medical Examiner Michael Payne pronounced Knudtson dead Tuesday night.
"A contact team was formed and approached the male’s vehicle and he was found with a self inflicted gun shot wound to the head," Zimmerman wrote in a press release.
Pleasant Prairie police say they received a call at 8:15 p.m. about a male subject - later identified as Darracott - shot in the 9200 block of Cooper Road. PPPD officers reported that Darracott was shot several times by someone he knew and was transported to St. Catherine's Hospital before being taken by Flight for Life to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee.
Now, Pleasant Praire police are saying the victim was dating the suspect's ex-wife and had been for some time, the story in The Journal Times reports.
Pleasant Prairie Deputy Chief Dave Mogensen is quoted as saying there aren't any restraining orders against Knudtson, and that Darracott is in critical condition at Froedtert. There weren't any reports of which he was aware, Mogensen added, that took place at Darracott's house that would have alerted police to potential trouble.
The Journal Times is also reporting that court records reveal Knudtson and his ex-wife divorced in 2003, but custody issues kept lawyers in court until 2011.
Police have released the name of a 42-year-old man who police say shot himself in a car in Pritchard Park Tuesday night after first shooting a man several times in Pleasant Prairie.
Dean L. Knudtson, of Somers, is believed to have shot Michael Darracott, 44, who was reportedly dating Knudtson's ex-wife, according to a story from The Journal Times. Knudtson then drove to Pritchard Park - at Ohio Street and Durand Avenue - and killed himself.
At 8:52 p.m. Tuesday, Racine County dispatch received a call from Knudtson, who said he was armed with a gun at Pritchard Park. He described the area he was in as well as provided a description of his vehicle and said he would shoot himself when police arrived.
Squads from the Racine and Mount Pleasant police departments with deputies from the Racine County Sheriff's Department arrived on scene and quickly located Knudtson's vehicle. Shortly thereafter, officers reported hearing a gunshot and seeing a muzzle flash from inside the car, said RCSD Deputy Brian Zimmerman.
Racine County Medical Examiner Michael Payne pronounced Knudtson dead Tuesday night.
"A contact team was formed and approached the male’s vehicle and he was found with a self inflicted gun shot wound to the head," Zimmerman wrote in a press release.
Pleasant Prairie police say they received a call at 8:15 p.m. about a male subject - later identified as Darracott - shot in the 9200 block of Cooper Road. PPPD officers reported that Darracott was shot several times by someone he knew and was transported to St. Catherine's Hospital before being taken by Flight for Life to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee.
Now, Pleasant Praire police are saying the victim was dating the suspect's ex-wife and had been for some time, the story in The Journal Times reports.
Pleasant Prairie Deputy Chief Dave Mogensen is quoted as saying there aren't any restraining orders against Knudtson, and that Darracott is in critical condition at Froedtert. There weren't any reports of which he was aware, Mogensen added, that took place at Darracott's house that would have alerted police to potential trouble.
The Journal Times is also reporting that court records reveal Knudtson and his ex-wife divorced in 2003, but custody issues kept lawyers in court until 2011.
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