3 in Custody After South Side Shooting

On April 5^th 2017, Investigators with the La Crosse Police Department were conducting surveillance on a residence located at 2612 South 17^th Street.  Investigators had received reliable information that Damon Taylor was in the residence.  Damon Taylor, who was the subject of our Wanted Wednesday Facebook post on March 29, 2017, was wanted on a Department of Corrections warrant and is known to frequently be armed with guns.

Based on the information the investigators gathered, a search warrant for the residence at 2612 South 17^th Street was granted.  The La Crosse Police Department’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) was requested and was responding to the scene to assist with the search warrant when the following occurred:

• At 5:38PM as investigators were maintaining surveillance of the residence for execution of the warrant, two male subjects arrived at the residence. These male parties identified as, Jonlazaire Burch and Trevongh Martin approached the residence, and as they began entering, gunfire ensued. Both Burch and Martin retreated from the residence. Burch sustained a non-life threatening gunshot wound to his leg. It is believed Burch was shot by a subject who was in the residence at 2612 South 17^th. As Martin was running from the scene, he was returning fire from a handgun he was in possession of, shooting at 2612 South 17^th Street.
• Burch fled from the scene and was located at the corner of 16^th and South Avenue. He was transported to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center where he is being treated for his injury.
• Martin was pursued by Officers on scene and was placed under arrest in a yard in the 2800 Block of South Avenue.
• A third suspect fled from the residence and was subsequently place under arrest at 15^th and Castle Place. The subject, Ontario Lowery is the renter of the property at 2612 South 17^th St.
• The 4^th suspect, Damon Taylor remained in the residence. La Crosse Police established a perimeter and began negotiating with Mr. Taylor. Due to Taylor’s erratic behavior throughout the incident, the LCPD tactical team deployed tear gas in an attempt to gain his surrender, to no avail. Eventually, the tactical team entered the residence, located Taylor, and took him into custody without additional incident.
• Other than Burch’s injury, no other individuals were injured in this incident.

Charges for the individual involved in this incident are as follows:

Trevongh Martin: Probation Hold

Ontario Lowery: 1^st degree Recklessly Endangering safety as a party to the crime

Damon Taylor: 1^st degree Recklessly Endangering safety, Possession of a firearm by a felon, Battery, Theft of a firearm, Possession of Methamphetamine, Disorderly Conduct, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Probation Hold

This incident remains under investigation and additional charges are pending.

The standoff with Damon Taylor lasted approximately 7 hours. The peaceful resolution to this situation was the direct result of the training and patience exhibited by the La Crosse Police Department’s Emergency Response Team.  This also demonstrates the importance of the investment into specialized equipment and the training of our ERT, which helps to keep our officers and the community safe.

The La Crosse Police Department would like to thank the La Crosse County Sheriff’s Department, the La Crosse Fire Department, Tri-State Ambulance and the La Crosse Emergency Dispatch Center for their assistance in bringing this incident to a safe conclusion.