Armed Man Seeking Wisconsin Governor Posts Bail and Returns With Rifle

A man who was looking for Gov. Tony Evers of Wisconsin was arrested with a handgun inside the State Capitol in Madison on Wednesday, posted bail and then returned with an “AK-47-style” rifle and was arrested again, a state spokeswoman said.

The man, who was shirtless and had a dog on a leash, initially approached the security desk outside the governor’s office shortly before 2 p.m., Tatyana Warrick, a spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Department of Administration, said in a statement.

The man said he would not leave until he saw the governor, Ms. Warrick said. Because it is illegal to openly carry a firearm inside the State Capitol, officers with the Wisconsin State Capitol Police took the man into custody, she said.

The man, whose name was not released, was taken to the Dane County Jail. The gun, which the man was carrying in a holster, was seized as evidence, and the dog was turned over to animal control officers. The man then bailed himself out of jail, Ms. Warrick said.

The statement did not say how much he posted, and Ms. Warrick did not immediately respond to an email seeking further information.

Hours later, at about 9 p.m., the man appeared outside the Capitol building with a loaded “AK-47-style” rifle, and again asked to see the governor, Ms. Warrick said.

Capitol Police and Madison Police officers began talking to him and searched his backpack, Ms. Warrick said. They found a collapsible police-style baton, which was illegal for him to carry without a valid concealed-carry permit, Ms. Warrick said.

“Based on concerning statements made by the man, officers took him into custody shortly before midnight for a psychiatric evaluation,” Ms. Warrick said. “The rifle was seized by Capitol Police for safekeeping and the baton was seized as evidence.”

The man was charged with a concealed-carry weapons violation in connection with the baton, Ms. Warrick said.

Governor Evers told reporters on Thursday that he had confidence in the State Capitol Police to continue to keep him safe, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

“To their credit, the Capitol Police took control of the situation and so it’s over,” Mr. Evers told reporters, adding that the police were doing “great work.”

Britt Cudaback, a spokeswoman for Mr. Evers, said on Thursday that the governor’s office does not comment on security threats or the governor’s security detail. Mr. Evers, a Democrat and a former state school superintendent, was re-elected to a second term last year.