A Wisconsin man has been accused of killing a mother and injuring her family after he allegedly ran them over with a car in an act of alleged “vigilante justice.”
Jeffrey Endres, 49, allegedly accelerated in a vehicle toward the family of Dr Kami Hansen, a well-known local chiropractor, and her family in an alleged act of revenge, according to a criminal complaint released on Monday,
The incident happened in Cottage Grove, which is a suburb of Madison, Wisconsin, on April 28, around 6.30pm. Hansen, her husband, one of their sons, and the family dog were out walking when Endres allegedly crashed into the group, according to WMTV.
Hansen was reportedly thrown approximately 25 to 30 feet from where she was hit. She and the family's dog, a black pit bull, were both killed during the incident. The husband escaped with only a few cuts, but their son required surgery and suffered a concussion.
He told police at the scene that he could hear a vehicle "flooring it" toward them. Hansen's husband said the vehicle jumped the curb and hit him and his family.
Multiple eyewitnesses also reportedly told police that they saw the vehicle accelerate toward the family.
Enders reportedly stayed at the scene after the crash, and allegedly told police that he was "having a bad day" and offered "no comment" about the crash. He said he lost control of his vehicle while driving to the gas station, but an Uber driver who had been driving near Enders just before the crash allegedly told police that claim was bogus.
“If he’s telling you he veered off the roadway, then he’s lying to you,” the witness told police. “I saw that vehicle jerk.”
According to Deputy District Attorney William Brown, the deadly crash was no accident, but rather an act of revenge for a "sensitive crime" that allegedly occurred between Hansen's child and Endres' child. Police did not give further information about what happened.
“It has come to light that this was not an accident. This was an intentional act by Mr Endres,” Brown told a judge. “This was, as the complaint shows, essentially an act of vigilante justice.”
Endres and Hansen were neighbors until recently, according to police.
Hansen's husband acknowledged that allegations about the "sensitive crime" had been brought forward in late March.
Endres reportedly went digging for more information and opened a records request on April 23 for any police reports relating to the alleged incident.
He received a redacted police report detailing the incident on April 28, just three hours before the fatal crash.
Endres is being charged with first-degree intentional homicide, two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, and mistreatment of animals causing death.
His bond was set at $1 million on Monday in the Dane County courts.
If he posts bond, he will not be allowed to have any contact with any member of the Hansen family and will be restricted from being anywhere inside Cottage Grove. He would also not be allowed to drink alcohol.
Police made Enders take a mugshot shortly after the incident while his face was still bruised and his eyes were bloodshot.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 14. If convicted of intentional homicide, Endres could face up to life in prison without the possibility of extended supervision.
