Man who barricaded self, died of self-inflicted gunshot wound in Wisconsin identified

A man who barricaded himself from police and ultimately died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in western Wisconsin has been identified.

According to the Polk County’s Sheriff’s Office, 39-year-old Eric Keesen, from Rice Lake, was the man involved in the incident on Thursday in Balsam Lake. Authorities say Keesen had active warrants for felony-level crimes, such as stalking in Barron County and child enticement in Washburn County.

At about 7:23 p.m., police located the man at a motel in the Village of Balsam Lake. The suspect armed himself with a handgun and barricaded himself in one of the motel rooms.

After an over 11-hour standoff with authorities, the suspect stopped communicating. Officers entered the motel and found the suspect hiding in the attic space. However, efforts to take the suspect into custody peacefully were unsuccessful, as the man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Life-saving measures were attempted but ultimately unsuccessful.