Suspect in nearly 24-hour armed standoff in Amherst is dead. Officers did not fire weapons, sheriff says

AMHERST − A 32-year-old man involved in a nearly 24-hour armed standoff with numerous central Wisconsin law enforcement agencies is dead.

The Portage County Sheriff's Office said special response teams were able to locate Jeffery E. Miller in the residence of 450 Mill Ave. in the village of Amherst about 5:30 p.m. Friday. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation will conduct the death investigation, the sheriff's office said in a news release.

During the standoff, several gunshots were fired at law enforcement officers but no officers discharged their firearms, the sheriff's office said. No officers were injured during the incident.

At about 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the Sauk County Sheriff's Office asked the Portage County Sheriff's Office for help in arresting Miller in connection with an attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer on July 23, according to the sheriff's office.

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Officers found Miller at 450 Mill Ave. in Amherst. The Portage County, Stevens Point and Marathon County special response teams responded to the scene and made contact with five people who were taken into custody, according to the sheriff's office. Miller fled into the house and began to shoot at police, according to the sheriff's office.

Officers tried numerous tactics to get Miller to peacefully surrender, the sheriff's office said.

The sheriff's office issued a shelter in place order for Amherst residents in the area of the standoff that remained in effect until about 6 p.m. Friday.

Miller was wanted in connection with an incident that occurred July 23 in Sauk County. At 11:06 p.m. July 23, a Sauk Prairie Police officer attempted a traffic stop for a possible drunken driver, according to the Sauk County Sheriff's Office. The driver fled the officer, disregarding traffic signs and a chase was started. The driver was traveling recklessly on State 78. The officer got his license plate and ended the chase.

A Sauk County deputy later found the minivan on State 113 and followed it toward Baraboo. Officers worked to stop the driver until the vehicle crashed, according to the Sauk County Sheriff's Office. As Sauk County deputies arrived at the crash, the man, who was identified as Miller, fired gunshots toward them before running into a wooded area, according to the Sauk County Sheriff's Office. One deputy suffered a minor injury as a result.

Contact Karen Madden at 715-345-2245 or kmadden@gannett.com . Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33

This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Suspect in nearly 24-hour armed standoff in Amherst is dead. Officers did not fire weapons, sheriff says