Crime & Safety
Wife Says Husband Was 'Brave' for Confonting Stabbing Suspect
Cedarburg man chased suspect to parking lot and prevented him from getting into van.
Michelle Tagye said her husband, Ronald, had a couple days off this week, so the Cedarburg couple decided to go the Saukville Walmart to do a little shopping Wednesday afternoon.
Little did they know that they would not only be in the middle of an attempted homicide, but that Ronald Tagye would play a big role in apprehending the suspect.
“We were at the checkout line when we heard something from one of the radios the employees carry,” Michelle Tagye said. “We heard that 911 had been called and there was a lot of blood.”
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Her husband saw the suspect, Anthony Peters, leave the store.
“The store security was just standing there because they said they aren’t allowed to follow a suspect out of the store,” she said. “My husband just followed the guy.”
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Ronald Tagye, 45, is licensed to carry a gun and he does – when he patrols the Milwaukee housing project where he works.
“It was just a natural reaction for my husband,” Michelle Tagye said. “He deals with this kind of stuff all the time.”
Ronald Tagye, who could not be reached for comment for this story, followed Peters to the parking lot. As Peters was opening the door to a van, Ronald Tagye kicked it shut. The driver of the van then drove off, but later went to the Saukville police station, where he was questioned.
When Officer Barry Effinger showed up to the store, Ronald Tagye yelled: "He's the one who did it.”
Initially, Peters was uncooperative and Effinger had to yell three times that Peters should show his hands, according to the criminal complaint. After taking his hands out of his pockets and raising them above his head, he dropped a large folding knife to the ground.
and faces up to 60 years in prison, if convicted. He is due in court Tuesday.
Saukville Police Chief Bill Meloy said authorities do not recommend that bystanders get involved in situations like this because doing so could have a tragic outcome.
“He prevented the suspect from getting in the van and getting away,” Meloy said of Ronald Tagye. “He is a trained security guard, but you never know what could happen.”
His wife, however, sees things another way.
“What he did was brave,” Michelle Tagye said. "That guy might have gotten way if my husband hadn’t stopped him.”