WEAC Member Hailed as Hero

A WEAC member is being hailed as a hero after talking a student out of a potentially fatal situation.

Wally Byrne, a teacher in the southwestern Wisconsin community of Wauzeka, was summoned to a mobile home August 29, where a student was holed up in a standoff with police.

The 18-year old student had fled to his home after he was caught burglarizing a nearby mobile home. Police were called to the home, and the student fired a gun at them. Authorities called the Wauzeka High School to see if the suspect was a student there.

"The administrator knew I had worked very closely with this student," Byrne said. "I said without a doubt I can help out."

Police escorted Byrne to the mobile home, where dressed in a bulletproof vest, he talked to the student through a public address system. After a couple hours, the 18-year old came out of the mobile home and surrendered.

"I kept telling him to trust me and relax - not to do anything that would make the situation worse," Byrne said. "We didn't want anyone hurt. I said we worked too hard and came too far to make bad mistakes."

Byrne said the student was reaching out for help and didn't recognize any voices until he got there.

"I provided a voice he recognized. He was able to make a better decision. I'm glad he decided to think in a positive way and make the right decision."

Byrne doesn't think he did anything out of the ordinary that afternoon.

"Any teacher would have done the same thing," he said. "Besides parents, teachers really know their students. I acted on instinct. I didn't consider it being a hero. He needed help like in the classroom. This was bigger than that."

Byrne says he doesn't think of himself as a hero.

"After all was said and done, I realized how dangerous it was, but I knew the kid needed help," Byrne said. "It hit me after it was all over. I have a family of my own, but everyone was safe and we had a good ending to what could have been a disaster. I don't portray myself as a hero. I portray myself as a teacher - and we care about people."