A man showed up armed at the Wisconsin Capitol twice in one day asking for the governor, officials say. Here’s what we know

By Joe Sutton and Christina Maxouris, CNN

(CNN) — A man who showed up twice to the Wisconsin Capitol with a gun demanding to talk to the governor this week made a “concerning statement” during at least one of the visits and was twice detained by authorities, state officials said.

The man first showed up Wednesday afternoon shirtless, with a handgun and a dog and refused to leave the building until he saw Gov. Tony Evers, a Wisconsin Department of Administration spokesperson told CNN. He was arrested, posted bail and returned to the building that night with a loaded AK-47-style rifle and the same request – and was detained, officials said.

Officials have not released many details surrounding the incident or the man’s statement and whether it was violent. But Evers, like a number of public officials in recent years, has previously been the subject of violent threats.

Just last year, Evers, a Democrat, was on a list of targets of a man who authorities said shot and killed a former Wisconsin judge, according to a source familiar with that investigation. On the same list of targets was Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer – who herself was the subject of a kidnapping plot – was also on the gunman’s list of targets, her office said at the time.

Here’s what we know about Wednesday’s incidents.

Authorities found ‘police-style baton’ in his bag

Shortly before 2 p.m. on Wednesday, the man approached the security desk outside the governor’s office at the Capitol, which is in Madison, and was openly carrying a handgun, according to a Wisconsin State Capitol Police visitor alert obtained by CNN from a state senator’s office. Open carry is illegal in the Wisconsin Capitol.

The man was shirtless and had a holstered handgun and a leashed dog, Department of Administration spokesperson Tatyana Warrick said in an email to CNN on Thursday.

The man was identified in the alert as Joshua Pleasnick, 43. He made contact with an officer who was at the desk and said he would not leave until he saw the governor, the alert reads.

When he was told he could not openly carry a firearm in the Capitol, he said he would not comply and was arrested, according to the alert.

He was taken to the Dane County jail on suspicion of openly carrying a firearm in a public building, and the firearm was seized as evidence, according to the administration department’s statement.

The dog was turned over to Madison’s animal services department, the statement added.

“While being interviewed Pleasnick said he would continue coming to the Capitol until he spoke to the Governor about domestic abuse towards men,” the visitor alert said.

He bailed out of jail and returned to Capitol grounds at roughly 9 p.m., this time armed with a loaded AK-47-style rifle, the administration department said. Again, he asked to see the governor.

Capitol police and Madison police “began a dialogue” with him, the administration department said. “A consent search of his backpack was conducted and revealed a collapsible police-style baton, which is illegal as the man did not have a valid concealed carry permit,” the department said.

Officers took him into custody, based on a “concerning statement” he made, shortly before midnight for a psychiatric evaluation, and the rifle was seized by Capitol police, the administration department said.

According to the visitor alert, Pleasnick was taken “into protective custody.”

“Use extreme caution when in contact with Pleasnick. He should be considered armed,” the alert added.

CNN has attempted to reach Pleasnick for comment.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Evers said he was OK, adding that while he doesn’t comment on his security detail, incidents like this always prompt reevaluations of security policies.

“The Capitol police took control of the situation and so it’s over, but it’s always something that … you don’t want to see happen, but that’s why we have good people in the police departments and the Capitol Police and the state patrol, they’re doing their great work,” the governor said.

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CNN’s Amy Simonson and Brad Parks contributed to this report.