MONROE — A Brooklyn man was given two years probation for a February election day incident at his home.

Paul Warren, 75, had gotten into an argument over the removal of a nearby tree the morning of the Wisconsin Spring Primary on Feb. 21. He pulled out a firearm, discharging it. He was later arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and felony counts of 2nd Degree Recklessly Endangering and making terrorist threats, both with use of a dangerous weapon as modifiers.

According to a transcript of a phone call between Douglas and the Green County Sheriff’s Office during the incident, he said he was “going to start shooting people” if the tree removal crew attempted to cut down his tree. They were on the scene to cut down a tree across the street. “I’m going to get my gun out … I have a gun here and I am going to start shooting people,” the transcript shows. 

While no one was injured from the gunshot, the disturbance caused nearby election officials to move the polling place to a backup location. Officials received approval to extend voting hours to allow those affected by the nearly two-hour ordeal to go inside and cast their ballot in the village’s lone election hall.

In court on March 22 in front of Judge Faun Marie Phillipson, Douglas entered a Not Guilty plea on two of the three counts, but pled no contest to the terrorism charge. The other two counts were dismissed to be read in. 

Douglas must forfeit his gun, according to court records.