Man of Accused of Firing a Gun at Another Vehicle on US 51 Still Not Competent for Trial

Friday, April 12th, 2024 -- 8:01 AM

(Mike Leischner, WSAU) The man accused of tailgating another vehicle while the two were northbound on US 51 and then firing a gun into the vehicle remains incompetent for trial.

According to Mike Leischner with WSAU, that’s the determination by a Marathon County judge after a court appearance by Bennie Green on Tuesday, roughly three and a half months after he was initially deemed not competent.

The 41-year-old faces one count of attempted homicide and five counts of recklessly endangering safety. Other charges against him include fleeing an officer, second-degree recklessly endangering safety, and a second OWI.

During Tuesday’s hearing a judge noted that the case will remain suspended for now, saying Green may become competent within the statutory time limits. The sides will return to court for a review hearing on July 9th.

Charges stem from an incident last October. Green is accused of tailgating the vehicle, slowing down, and speeding up before allowing them to pass. Green is then charged with driving alongside the victims and shooting twice into their vehicle.

Green then led authorities on a chase that extended back into the Wausau area where he was finally arrested after a Lincoln County deputy disabled his vehicle. Investigators said the second vehicle was carrying a family of five. One of them was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. It’s unclear if the family had any prior connection to Green.

Green faces a mandatory life sentence if found guilty on the attempted homicide count alone. He faces more than 50 years in prison for the counts of recklessly endangering safety. He has requested to represent himself during the court proceedings with an attorney on standby.

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