When responding to a domestic call in rural Ellsworth Aug. 27, deputies had to negotiate with the suspect who refused to come out of the house and leave his guns behind. He had threatened suicide during an argument with his wife.

Soren Straarup, 47, pleaded not guilty and posted a $5,000 signature bond Sept. 4 in Pierce County Circuit Court on battery (domestic abuse) and disorderly conduct (domestic abuse) charges. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of nine months in jail and/or fines up to $10,000.

According to the complaint:

Pierce County deputies were dispatched at 9:33 a.m. Aug. 27 to a domestic/suicidal subject at a home on 450^th Avenue in rural Ellsworth. A 58-year-old woman said her husband, identified as Straarup, has mental health issues which were getting worse because he wasn’t taking his medication. She said they’d been arguing recently about marital issues and that he’s been physically abusive toward her in the past.

At around 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. that morning, she woke Straarup up because he was “snoring too loud.” She alleged he grabbed both her upper arms, causing bruising, and told her to shut up. They got into a verbal argument and the woman called her oldest daughter to come stay with her while Straarup went back to sleep. At some point, he left the room and his wife called him around 8 a.m. to discuss what had happened. They talked on the phone and texted for about 45 minutes before he reentered their bedroom and told her it was all her fault.

He then grabbed a gun with a scope and said, “I’ll be ready for when they come,” referring to the police. He said he’d kill himself if police arrived and went downstairs with the gun, but she wasn’t sure where. He texted the woman, saying, “You make me do this.. it is all on you.” He then left the house but she didn’t know where he went.

Officers arrived and tried to reach Straarup on his cellphone numerous times, finally leaving a message and texting him. Straarup called police back and told them he was in his office on the main floor of the residence with a rifle and pistol. He denied having mental health issues and said his wife is the one who needs help. He said he doesn’t trust law enforcement and wouldn’t separate himself from his guns. Deputies negotiated an exit plan with him and he agreed to walk out to one of his vehicles with only his phone. However, when he saw a drone being operated by deputies, he hung up and texted the negotiator, “You just my trust right there.” The officer was able to reestablish contact and explained an exit plan. They were finally able to take him into custody, along with his rifle. He was taken to an undisclosed facility without incident.

Straarup is scheduled to appear for a status conference in Pierce County Circuit Court at 8:45 a.m. Nov. 4.