Oshkosh man pleads no contest to negligent handling of a dangerous weapon

STAR JOURNAL REPORT

A 30-year-old Oshkosh man who was accused of putting a knife to the throat of a taxi driver last June in Minocqua has pleaded no contest in Oneida County Circuit Court to a misdemeanor count of negligent handling of a dangerous weapon.

Matthew W. Koehler, who appeared in court Monday for a pretrial conference, had initially faced a felony charge of armed robbery, which was amended. A felony count of second-degree recklessly endangering safety and a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct were also dismissed as part of a deferred prosecution agreement.

According to court records, a Minocqua police officer was dispatched shortly after midnight June 19 to a report of a disturbance on Arnold Stock Lane, where it was reported a male subject had come out of the woods and put a knife to the taxi driver’s neck. The property owner informed the officer that he was having a wedding reception there for his daughter and asked for the keys of an individual with Koehler who was drunk and “getting out of control.”

After the property owner took the keys and drove the two back to a cabin, a police report states Koehler came back a little while later and pulled a knife on the taxi driver in the driveway, after which the taxi driver gave Koehler the keys and he ran into the garage. The incident was recorded on the taxi’s dash camera, according to court records.

When asked to describe Koehler, the taxi driver stated Koehler had lily pads hanging off his face and that he took off his clothes, which others had in their possession. Three individuals were able to get the taxi driver’s keys back and also get the knife, according to the police report.

After the property owner escorted police a residence in Lac du Flambeau, Koehler and the individual he was with were taken into custody, according to the police report.

When interviewed while in custody at the Minocqua Police Department, Koehler stated that he and the individual he was with went to the reception after they ran into the wedding party earlier in the day when they were fishing. After having been dropped off at the cabin upon being driven away from the reception, Koehler stated he ran through a swamp area to get back to the party. Koehler denied having a knife that evening, but stated he was drinking beer, according to the police report.