The man facing charges in the drug overdose death was already in jail.
Tyler A. Kuhnke, 26, New London, was charged on Sept. 11 with first-degree reckless homicide in Outagamie County.
In Waupaca County, Kuhnke was charged on Sept. 6 with resisting an officer and battery of an officer.
According to the Waupaca County criminal complaint, New London Police Officer Ryan Denu responded on Sept. 5 to a report of someone driving erratically.
Denu later found the suspect vehicle on Elm Street in the front yard of one of Kuhnke’s relatives, who told the officer he wanted Kuhnke off his property.
Kuhnke had locked himself inside a camper and refused to come out, the complaint says.
Other officers arrived at the scene and informed Kuhnke that if he did not come out, the police would break in. Kuhnke exited the camper.
When Denu attempted to arrest him, Kuhnke allegedly punched the officer in the face.
Officers report Kuhnke continued to resist until they tased him.
While Kuhnke was sitting in Waupaca County jail on a $500 cash bond, Outagamie County charged him with reckless homicide and set a $100,000 cash bond. He is being transported back and forth between the two jails as his cases proceed.
He also has an open misdemeanor case from incidents in April.
On June 23, Kuhnke was charged in Waupaca County with disorderly conduct and contact with the victim after a domestic abuse arrest.
Shortly after 4:30 a.m. on April 28, New London police responded to a domestic disturbance at a home on Elm Street. Officers heard yelling as they approached the house.
The resident, who was Kuhnke’s relative, said he wanted Kuhnke out of the house.
Kuhnke’s girlfriend told the officers she caught Kuhnke checking the call history on her cellphone. Before she went to bed, she put a block on her phone and kept it with her.
She awakened to Kuhnke’s yelling because he could not access her phone log.
An argument ensued, waking the entire household.
Kuhnke allegedly threw the phone down on the floor and broke it.
According to the June 23 complaint, Kuhnke and the girlfriend had been living together for seven years and had two children, ages 2 and 4.
The couple had recently separated, and Kuhnke allegedly responded by accusing her of seeing other men.
The ex-girlfriend said he had become increasingly paranoid, and she planned to seek a restraining order.
She also signed a 72-hour no-contact order after the April 29 incident.
On April 29, residents of the Elm Street home called New London police twice to report Kuhnke was outside on the sidewalk speaking with one of his sons.
Kuhnke was subsequently arrested, then released from custody on May 1 on a $1,000 signature bond.
His bond was modified after Kunnke failed to make a May 2 court appearance and he was released again on May 5 after posting a $150 cash bond.
On Oct. 28, 2008, shortly after his 18th birthday, Kuhnke was convicted in four separate criminal cases of three counts of disorderly conduct and one count of misdemeanor theft. Charges of battery, resisting an officer, violating a restraining order and two counts of theft were dismissed but read into the court record for sentencing purposes.
He was placed on two years of probation with the conditions that he not consume alcohol or illegal drugs and have no contact with two different 16-year-old juveniles who were listed as victims in three of the complaints. If he successfully completed his probation, Kuhnke’s record would be expunged.
On Feb. 23, 2009, Kuhnke’s probation was revoked due to violations, and he was sentenced to time served.
On May 14, 2009, he was charged with disorderly conduct. The charge was amended from a misdemeanor to an ordinance violation on Aug. 4, 2009, and Kuhnke was assessed $309 in fines and court costs.
On Feb. 6, 2010, Kunke was convicted of disorderly conduct. Charges of battery, criminal damage to property and theft were dismissed but read into the court record. Kuhnke was sentenced to 60 days in jail with work-release privileges.
On Dec. 6, 2011, Kuhnke was convicted of delivery of marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. Charges of using a child to distribute illegal drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia were dismissed but read into the record. He was placed on three years of probation with six months in jail and three months stayed as conditions of his probation.
On March 30, 2012, the court lifted 45 days of the three months stayed and Kuhnke was returned to jail.
On May 1, 2013, Kuhnke was convicted of criminal damage to property with the use of a weapon. Charges of battery and disorderly conduct with a weapon were dismissed but read into the record.
Kuhnke was placed on one year of probation and ordered to pay $1,169 in restitution and $389 in court costs.
On Dec. 10, 2014, Kuhnke’s probation was revoked, and he was sentenced to six months in jail with work-release privileges. His restitution and court costs were reduced to a civil judgment.