Home » Courts » Dax committed for 40 years

Dax committed for 40 years

Waupaca County man involved in shootout sent to mental health facility

Waupaca County Judge Troy Nielsen committed James D. Dax, 64, to spend 40 years in a mental health facility.

Dax pleaded guilty to one count of attempted first-degree intentional homicide Thursday, June 20.

Nielsen then found Dax guilty but not guilty by reason of mental defect in the 2017 shooting of a Waupaca County deputy.

On Sept. 8, 2017, a bomb squad and 48 officers converged on Dax’s home after he told the FBI, “Hell is about to start.”

Eight days earlier, Waupaca County Sheriff’s Deputy Nate Nelson met with Dax’s wife, who had left their home because she feared Dax.

Dax’s wife reported he physically and verbally abused her almost every day.

She also told Nelson she feared not only for herself, but for any officer who went to their home because Dax had previously fired a gun at an officer.

When deputies attempted to make contact with Dax, he retreated into his home and refused to speak with them.

Dax was charged with aggravated battery and disorderly conduct. A warrant for Dax’s arrest was issued on Aug. 31.

Officers continued monitoring Dax’s home for a week as the investigation continued.

Dax’s wife told investigators he was armed and had filled soda bottles with gasoline and stuffed paper through the opening. Investigators suspected she was describing Molotov cocktails.

Authorities also learned Dax had installed motion detectors and a security camera outside the house.

Dax’s wife described him as “extremely paranoid,” saying he did not trust the state or county governments.

“Dax told her if people ever came for him that he could blow the house up,” according to the criminal complaint.

In the week prior to his arrest, Dax sent several emails to the FBI.

“Urgent: My wife has either been murdered of kidnapped. She has not come home after doing chores for two mornings now,” Dax said in a Sept. 1 email to the FBI. “Don’t trust local or county cops in 13 counties of NE Wisconsin.”

In a subsequent email Dax said, “Don’t ever underestimate what I can do…. There is enough explosive for my building to take the neighborhood.”

On Sept. 7, Dax wrote, “People will pay dearly for this mess. I have nothing to loose (sic). Hell is about to start.”

Police standoff
Shortly after 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 8, 48 officers from 12 jurisdictions arrived at Dax’s property on Manske Road in the town of Mukwa. Area residents had been evacuated.

Throughout the day, negotiators attempted to persuade Dax to leave the residence peacefully, but were unsuccessful.

At 3 p.m., the doors were breached and officers deployed pepper spray and tear gas inside the house.

After SWAT teams cleared the garage and the main level of the home, they discovered Dax had climbed up into the attic.

The attic consisted of a landing for the ladder and a small room. Dax had pulled the ladder after him.

Three SWAT officers went up their own ladder and deployed a flash-bang prior to entering the attic.

Because the flash-bang stirred up dust and debris, there was “zero visibility” in the attic, the complaint says.

Dax had barricaded himself behind the door to the small room.

After all three SWAT officers were in the attic, Dax opened fire on them.

The officers reported Dax began yelling, “I give up, I give up,” but then he started shooting at them again.

One of the officers was hit by a bullet, and he suffered damage to his eardrums.

The officers returned fire in the direction of the sound of the shooting but did not hit Dax because he was hiding behind boxes.

Officers found bottles of gasoline and a 9mm handgun when they conducted a search of Dax’s residence.

Dax was charged with six counts of attempted first-degree homicide, first-degree reckless endangerment, battery to an officer, possession of a firearm by a person subject to court order, making terrorist threats and possession of explosives.

All charges except a single count of attempted homicide were dismissed but read into the court record.

He has been in custody for 650 days on a $5 million cash bond.

Scroll to Top