Stepfather of suspect in Janesville manhunt speaks out, fears suicide-by-cop scenario

Janesville (WKOW) - The stepfather of the Janesville man who's the subject of a nationwide manhunt tells 27 News he believes his step son is trying to create a "suicide-by-cop" scenario.

"I'm afraid he's trying to commit suicide-by-cop,"  Donald McLean says of his step son, 32-year old Joseph Jakubowski.

McClean tells 27 News Jakubowski is angry with politicians and police, and could carry out harm.

"I believe he is capable of that," McLean tells 27 News.

Jakubowski became the subject of a FBI-led search after allegedly stealing weapons from a Janesville gun store last week, and mailing a 161 page anti-government, anti-religion manifesto to President Trump, including threats to schools and others.

McLean and Jakubowski's mother, Julie McLean live a few miles from Jakubowski's rental unit, but McLean says the couple's been estranged from Jakubowski for the past two years.  "He wouldn't even answer his mother's texts,"  McLean says.

McLean says Jakubowski's bristling against authority played a role in the estrangement, and fears that trait could lead to a show down with pursuing law enforcement.  "That's what I'm afraid of the most, he ain't going to back down,"  McLean tells 27 News.

Nine years ago, when a Janesville Police officer threatened to shoot Jakubowski after he tried to wrestle a gun away from another officer, he was defiant.  "Just (expletive) do it,"  Jakubowski said, according to a criminal complaint against him.

McLean says Jakubowski's biological father is in Texas, and believes Jakubowski may consider going there.  "It's possible,"  McLean says.  27 News has yet to reach Jakubowski's father.  Records show his residence is near Nash."We have reached out to all of Jakubowski's family, friends, associates, all across the nation,"  says Janesville Police Chief David Moore.

"We realize that he has a plan,"  Rock County Sheriff Robert Spoden says.  "He obviously is committed to this plan, and we...don't know what his end game is.""His mother is extremely distraught,"  McLean says.  "He just needs to give up and get rid of this ridiculous idea, whatever it is,"  McLean tells 27 News.  "He's trying to make a statement.  Ten years from now, no one's going to know his name.""Nobody's been hurt,"  Spoden says, echoing the desire of family members for Jacubowski to surrender.  "And we don't want anyone to get hurt.  We don't want him to be hurt."

For more on this story: http://www.wkow.com/story/35113802/2017/04/10/stepfather-of-manhunt-suspect-speaks-out-to-27-news-fears-suicide-by-cop-scenario


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