Nashotah man and QAnon believer pleads guilty to attacking U.S. service members at Pewaukee Army Reserve Center

Ian Alan Olson, a 31-year-old Nashotah man and QAnon follower, has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that he attacked U.S. service members earlier this year

According to a U.S. Department of Justice news release, Olson entered his plea Aug. 18. He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 18 by U.S. District Judge Brett H. Ludwig.

Olson drove a car spray-painted with QAnon slogans to the Wisconsin Army Reserve Center in Pewaukee on March 15, according to federal court documents. Two U.S. Army servicemen, who were on active drill orders and dressed in Army uniforms, were standing in the parking lot of the reserve station when Olson arrived. 

Olson got out of the vehicle and pointed a paintball gun at the servicemen and said, “This is for America!”

Olson, who was 15 yards away, fired the paintball gun directly at the servicemen. After two or three shots, the gun jammed, and Olson stated, “You’re lucky it jammed” to the servicemen.

The two servicemen tackled Olson and held him until local police arrived. None of the projectiles hit the servicemen.

“Both servicemen initially believed Olson was holding a real firearm and they feared that Olson intended to shoot and kill them,” the news release stated.

Olson was also charged with two misdemeanor counts of attempted battery and one count of disorderly conduct in Waukesha County Circuit Court in connection with the incident. His next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 7.

Olson traveled to D.C.

Court documents show Olson traveled to Washington, D.C., in March, before the incident in Pewaukee, and was admitted to a hospital for psychological evaluation after he made concerning comments to the U.S. Capitol Police.

According to a report from the Capitol Police, on March 3 Olson approached a member of the National Guard in D.C. and said he was “’maybe going to do something crazy stupid tomorrow” and asked them not to shoot him.

Olson also said his actions would “be big” and that he was not afraid to die for his mission.

Court records show Olson was admitted to a hospital March 5 and stayed there for four days. He was diagnosed with a “brief psychotic disorder,” according to an arrest warrant.

Contact Evan Frank at (262) 361-9138 or evan.frank@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Evanfrank_LCP.

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