APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A man who climbed on the roof at an Appleton church, fired shots in the air, and held police at bay was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years, six months in prison.
James Cooper previously pleaded no contest to several counts, including first-degree recklessly endangering safety and discharging a gun in school zone for the May 19, 2022, incident at St. Bernadette Parish.
He was also placed on extended supervision for five years.
Before the sentence was issued, Cooper apologized and said he wasn’t thinking clearly at the time. While he has had some mental health treatment, they weren’t long-term solutions for his PTSD and other psychiatric issues.
Judge Yadira Rein says she hopes he gets the mental health help he needs, but said Cooper will need to be his own advocate in prison.
According to the criminal complaint, police responded to St. Bernadette Parish for man who climbed on to a roof, and fired a shot. After more than an hour and a half, Cooper agreed to come off the roof.
At the jail, Cooper “advised he would fight, injure and possibly kill anyone he could in order to not be placed at either a hospital or institution,” the complaint states.
Cooper told police he went to Iris Place to help him cope with the anniversary of his mother’s suicide, but eventually argued with a staff member. He then got a weapon and brought it there.
Iris Place is a counseling center on the church campus, but is not operated by the church.
“James stated he fired because he wanted law enforcement to respond as he wanted people to understand his story and what he was going through,” the complaint states. “James stated he had not wanted to hurt anyone.”
No one was injured.
