Police stop car at gunpoint, briefly closing part of I-794

A portion of I-794 closed Tuesday afternoon while St. Francis police stopped three men at gunpoint who were questioned as possible suspects linked to an earlier confrontation at a home on S. Whitnall Ave.

St. Francis Police Chief Brian Kaebisch said the people were detained but later released when investigators determined they were not involved in the original case, in which one of three men pointed a gun at a resident in the 4500 block of S. Whitnall Ave. about 11:52 a.m.

After receiving that call, St. Francis police three minutes later stopped a car just north of Oklahoma Ave. on I-794, based on a description of the suspects' vehicle. They requested help from the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department to shut down lanes in the area while officers made the stop.

"As they make that stop and exit their squad cars to get in position with that vehicle, they will have their guns drawn at that point," Kaebisch said. "The subjects inside the car were not being moved from that car as to exit until we had that area as safe as possible."

The highway was closed for about 30 minutes.

Kaebisch said police still are looking for the original three people involved in the confrontation.