Bristol Palin's dancing prompts man to shoot his TV

A rural Dane County man believes Bristol Palin should not be on "Dancing With The Stars." He demanded his wife get his pistols to emphasize his point. The result: A 15-hour standoff on Monday and Tuesday involving hostage negotiators, a dog team and other law enforcement authorities on one side and the Town of Vermont man on the other. The only casualty: The man's television.

Dane County prosecutors have charged Steven N. Cowan with second-degree reckless endangerment in the incident that made his wife worry that he would shoot her, according to a criminal complaint. Cowan, 67, and his wife were in the living room Monday night, watching the dance competition program that has featured the daughter of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin this season as one of the competitors. As Bristol Palin danced on the screen, Cowan raged.



"The (expletive) politics," he yelled, according to the complaint. Cowan was upset that a political figure's daughter was on the show when he didn't consider her a good dancer, his wife told authorities. Cowan went to his bedroom and came back about 20 minutes later, demanding that his wife find his pistols. Cowan's daughter had taken two handguns away for safety reasons, according to the complaint. Cowan had tracked down a single-shot shotgun in the house, he "slapped" bullets down onto a TV tray, loaded a round and took out the TV, the complaint says.

Cowan's face was bright red. He loaded the gun again. His wife put a blanket over her head, thinking that if her husband decided to shoot at her, she didn't want to see it. Cowan then demanded his pistols. His wife grabbed her purse and left the house and went to the local police department and the standoff ensued. Cowan's wife told authorities that he has been taking medication for bipolar disorder and that the family's finances have caused stress. He had been drinking at a bar before he came home, according to the complaint.