2 Janesville schools briefly locked down after armed suspect flees police

JANESVILLE — Marshall Middle School and Monroe Elementary School were put in a secure hold for 10 minutes on Wednesday after an altercation at Kwik Trip, 2810 E. Milwaukee St., involving a suspect who ran from the police.

Janesville police officers responded to Kwik Trip around 2 p.m. after Steven Jero called them.

According to Sgt. Ben Thompson, Jero was attempting to pull into the gas station on Milwaukee Street when he felt like 17-year-old Davion Walls, of Madison, was walking too slowly along the driveway, preventing him from pulling in fast enough.

Jero, 52, of Beloit, got out of his truck and exchanged words with Walls about “what his problem was.” Walls allegedly displayed a handgun in his waistband to Jero, prompting Jero to call the police.

When officers arrived at the gas station, Walls took off.

Janesville police then notified the School District of Janesville about the suspect fleeing, which put the two schools on the same block as the gas station into a secure hold, according to Patrick Gasper, public information officer for the district.

Officers found Walls near East Milwaukee Street and Morningside Drive, when he took off again. He was apprehended shortly after at Mt Zion Avenue and Morningside Drive. Walls did have a handgun on him when arrested.

Tentative charges for Walls include disorderly conduct while armed and resisting or obstructing an officer. Walls also had two warrants out in Dane County: one for disorderly conduct and another for theft of movable property, disorderly conduct and criminal damage for property, all misdemeanors and filed in August 2023.

Jero will also face a tentative charge of disorderly conduct. He claimed he was going to turn himself in after work on Thursday, Thompson said.