Beaver Dam cop arrested for domestic disorderly conduct in 2023

Michael Kuehn, a Beaver Dam patrolman for more than 20 years, was arrested for disorderly conduct in 2023 after his wife called 911 amid an argument. Both were cited.

By Annie Pulley, THE BADGER PROJECT

A long-time Beaver Dam police officer was arrested for disorderly conduct in 2023 after his wife called 911 as she was trying to leave their home with their children. The Waukesha County District Attorney opted not to pursue a criminal prosecution against him, but both he and his wife were later cited and fined.

The officer, Michael Kuehn, has worked as a patrolman for the Beaver Dam Police Department since 2005, his chief, John Kreuziger, told The Badger Project in an email.

In separate, noncriminal cases in Dodge County, both Kuehn and his wife pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct ordinance violations. They have since filed for divorce, according to online court records.

When asked whether Kreuziger disciplined Kuehn in the aftermath of his arrest, Kreuziger said he “dealt” with the situation through the department’s labor attorney and couldn’t discuss it.

When Kuehn’s wife called 911 shortly after attempting to leave their home with the children, Dodge County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived first and requested an assist. Deputies with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office then responded to avoid a conflict of interest because Kuehn works for Beaver Dam and so often interacts with the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office.

Columbia County deputies arrived to meet Kuehn’s wife in the driveway; she described the situation as a “disaster,” according to the report The Badger Project obtained in a records request. She told deputies that she called 911 because she was tired of Kuehn using degrading language toward her and their children and wanted someone to tell him his behavior isn’t right, the documents note.

She reported numerous examples of Kuehn’s behavior to the deputies, including how he called one of their children and her expletive-laced insults, though she said she doesn’t fear Kuehn would physically harm her.

When Kuehn spoke to deputies, he admitted to calling his wife a degrading insult during their argument and that after, he turned his back on her. He then said she struck him once in the back and once in the head, but out of sight of the children. Afterward, he began recording and went to the car to ask the girls if they saw their mother strike him.

In Kuehn’s conversation with the Columbia County deputies, he said his wife purposely makes him seem like the bad guy. He said he tries to keep their arguments from happening in front of the children but that his wife “would not stop,” the deputy wrote.

Deputies also spoke with one of the kids. The child told them that her mother had been crying all day because of an ongoing argument. The girl told deputies that Kuehn said her mother hit him but that she didn’t believe him. She also told deputies that he “hurts my feelings a lot of days” and “every other day he scares me.” She recalled a past incident when Kuehn reportedly said violent and profane things to her.

“It appeared that both parties had similar stories,” according to the report from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. His wife, however, denied ever striking him and said that she backed out of the garage very slowly and that only a few inches of the car door could have touched the rail of the garage. The video Kuehn captured shows more than a couple inches were within the frame of the garage, according to the report.

The report marks Kuehn as the primary aggressor due to his language and name-calling but notes both were at fault. Neither Kuehn nor his wife said they feared for their safety.

State law requires the police to make an arrest in a domestic abuse call if there is evidence of a physical injury, law enforcement has a reasonable belief that the alleged abuse is likely to continue and the person to be arrested is the “predominant aggressor.”

To avoid a conflict of interest, the Portage County District Attorney’s Office, which often works with Beaver Dam Police, gave Kuehn’s case to the Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office, which eventually opted not to pursue criminal charges against him.

“The allegations against Michael Kuehn involve entirely verbal name-calling, with no threats or acts of harm,” wrote then Waukesha District Attorney Sue Opper in a letter. “Given that, it would be difficult to prove disorderly conduct beyond a reasonable doubt and his words, though abusive, may be protected by the First Amendment in any criminal prosecution. I would refer this back for any appropriate citations.”

The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office issued ordinance citations for noncriminal disorderly conduct against them, said Dodge County District Attorney Andrea Will. Both paid their $150 fines.

The Badger Project is an independent news nonprofit in Wisconsin.