Antigo man named in Saturday’s hostage situation, makes court appearance Monday

ANTIGO, Wis. (WSAW) - Roger Houghton appeared in court this afternoon for a probable cause hearing after holding two children hostage late Saturday night.

Antigo Police arrived at the 700 Block of Pierce Avenue Saturday at 8:46 p.m. after receiving a call regarding a domestic dispute. When the police arrived, Houghton, 41, barricaded himself along with two small children.

Houghton threatened to shoot officers. Residents in the surrounding area were contacted to stay sheltered.

Tactical operators and crisis negotiators were called in to help and they were able to safely rescue the children.

“We’ve had some barricade situations over time, but nothing quite as severe as this and involving some children in the home. All the tactical operators and negotiators did a fantastic job in trying to mitigate that situation and eventually getting the children released and getting him into custody,” said Antigo Chief of Police Daniel Duley.

On Sunday at approximately 7:21 a.m. Houghton surrendered to the police. He was then taken into custody.

The two kids are safe in a home in Antigo.

Antigo Police Chief Daniel Duley told NewsChannel 7 that they haven’t dealt with this kind of situation before so many different departments arrived on the scene to assist them. Tactical units from Langlade County, Lincoln County, Oneida, and Marathon County Sheriff’s Office responded, as well as Antigo Fire Department, Street Department, and City Gas.

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