Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad was arrested Friday. He's facing charges for harassment, bail jumping, and disorderly conduct, according to online court records.
According to the criminal complaint, Lakeland Times owner Gregg Walker called the police on Bangstad and others at the Minocqua Brewing Company around 5:00 Friday evening.
Walker told dispatch and then the responding officer from the Minocqua Police Department that Bangstad and a couple of the other people gathered there were harassing him and yelling profanities at him while he was at his business which is across the street from the brewery.
A witness interviewed by the officer said, “Kirk and the crowd were yelling every curse word to exist at Gregg.”
In a video posted to Facebook Saturday evening, Bangstad said he was holding a political speech and beer tasting Friday when Walker came out of the Lakeland Times building which is across the street from the brewery.
Bangstad said he started talking to the people at the brewery about Walker and said they weren’t threatening Walker, they were protesting him.
Bangstad pleaded not guilty to the charges in Oneida County Court Monday.
Walker and Bangstad have had a yearslong conflict.
In 2023, Walker sued Bangstad for defamation and won. Bangstad was ordered to pay $750,000.
About year later, Bangstad was arrested for criminal defamation for continuing to post online about Walker. That case is still ongoing.
Six other people at the brewery were arrested for disorderly conduct. The Oneida County District Attorney’s Office told WXPR they are not being charged.
