MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) – The man accused of climbing the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department communications tower is pleading not guilty.
The Clerk of Courts office say that a trial date was not set for 43-year-old Thomas Elliot, who entered his plea Tuesday.
Elliott climbed the tower on November 16 and remained up there for about nine hours, police say. He climbed as high as 150 feet, drinking and tossing beer cans off the tower.
Officers say Elliott threatened to jump off the tower several times, and even said he would destroy the tower and kill himself with an improvised explosive device he claimed to be carrying.
Crisis negotiators eventually talked Elliott into coming down from the tower around 2 a.m.
He’s charged with making a terrorist threat, due to the threat to blow up the tower, and disorderly conduct. Also Tuesday, Elliott requested a substitution of the judge assigned to the case.
