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Wis. Police ID 85-Year-Old Man Killed By SWAT

HURLEY, Wis. (AP) — An 85-year-old Hurley man shot and killed by a SWAT team had a pistol wrestled from his hands several hours before by his apartment manager, the Hurley police chief said Saturday.

Killed in the Friday morning incident was Leo J. Driscoll. Chief Dan Erspamer, who leads the small police department in the northern Wisconsin town, said the shooting is under investigation by authorities in nearby Vilas County. Erspamer said SWAT officers who entered Driscoll's apartment found him holding a rifle, but said the ongoing investigation restricted him from saying whether Driscoll shot at or pointed his weapon at officers.

Two officers on the seven-member Hurley Police Department are on standard paid administrative leave, along with a handful of other officers on the multijurisdictional SWAT team comprised of personnel from numerous local agencies.

Erspamer said he responded to a call about 8:30 Friday morning from the manager of the apartment building where Driscoll lived. The man said Driscoll came into his office and threatened him with a handgun, but he was able to get it out of his hands. Driscoll's girlfriend, who lives in another unit of the building, told police upon arrival that Driscoll had multiple firearms in his apartment, Erspamer said.

Police evacuated about 40 residents; they were allowed to return Saturday morning. The SWAT team entered Driscoll's apartment at about 11:30 a.m.

Erspamer said Driscoll had no previous criminal record in Hurley, an Iron County town of about 1,800 people near the Michigan border.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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