MADISON, Wis. — A rural Wisconsin man apparently enraged by Bristol Palin’s “Dancing With the Stars” routine blasted his television with a shotgun, leading to an all-night standoff with a SWAT team, investigators said.
Steven Cowan, 67, was arrested Tuesday morning after officers coaxed him out of his house in Vermont, near Madison. Cowan, who is accused of threatening his wife with the gun after destroying the TV, appeared in a Madison courtroom Wednesday on a charge of second- degree reckless endangerment. His bail was set at $1,500.
Cowan’s wife, Janice, told investigators that her husband suffers from bipolar disorder and had threatened her life in the past. She said he was upset that a political figure’s daughter was dancing on TV even though he felt she didn’t have talent.
The Internet has been abuzz in recent days about how Palin, who has consistently landed at the bottom of the judges’ leaderboard, has been able to remain on the ABC show. Some have suggested that voters — particularly supporters of her mother, Sarah — have been voting in blocs and manipulating the system.
Both Palins have denied any organized vote-getting tactics.
Bristol Palin said voters support her despite lackluster performances because she started the show with no dancing experience.
