MIDDLETON, Wis. -- Dane County Sheriff's Department called in a "heavy hitter" to help end an hours-long stand-off in Middleton Sunday.

Middleton police are still trying to determine why a large group of men were fighting on Sunday evening.

That fight led to a shoot-out and eventual stand-off.

The group gathered in the parking lot of a PDQ convenience store near the intersection of Highway Q and M. Moments after, gunfire broke out and a 17-year-old young man was shot in the leg.

Police believe it could be gang related. "Well, it's possible," said Middleton Police Chief Brad Keil. "I do know that we identified some of those individuals as members of a local Latino gang, but we're not certain whether this was a gang rivalry-type of incident, or not. We're still trying to sort all of that out."

Keil said as officers arrived at the shooting scene, 11 suspects fled across busy Highway Q, and into an apartment located at 3401 Marino Court.

Police ordered them to come out. Only four followed those commands, seven others holed themselves up.

There were many tense moments as officers, armed with long guns, looked to take position on the apartment.

Around 1:00 a.m. Monday, Dane County's Tactical Response Team (TRT) brought in the BearCat.

"Shortly after that vehicle (BearCat) moved into position, hitting the building with a spotlight, all of those folks decided it was time to give up," said Keil.

Monday afternoon, Dane County Sheriff Gary Hamblin showed WISC-TV the sleek $180,000 armored "BearCat."

"If you're looking out your window in the middle of the night, and you see this vehicle parked outside the window with a big spotlight shining inside the window, it does grab your attention," said Hamblin. "There's no question it can be an intimidating vehicle. I think that's exactly what happened last night," said Hamblin.

Hamblin said the BearCat was prepared to launch tear gas from its center turret, if the spotlight had not worked.

"We've been able to get up close to residents and use a pole camera out the top so we can see into a residence to get some sense of the layout or what's going on inside the building," said Hamblin.

The BearCat was purchased this year with $180,000 of Homeland Security funds.

The sheriff said the vehicle is a terrorist fighter, but that it is also instrumental in helping save lives of officers across Southwest Wisconsin who are involved in other crime scenarios.

Prior to BearCat many SWAT teams pushed forward into possible gunfire without heavy-duty cover. Now, departments are cross training with Dane County deputies on the use of the BearCat.

Hamblin said with its heavy armor, remote controlled camera, PA system, numerous gun ports and other bells and whistles, deputies and others can now move in close with little risk.

And as Middleton police witnessed, just the sight of the BearCat may be enough to get suspects to cry, "uncle."

"It's just one of those things that once you acquire it, you kind of wonder how you got along without it," said Hamblin.

LaCrosse County is also home to a BearCat.

The county also paid for the $180,000 vehicle with a federal Homeland Security grant administered by the state.

But some members of the LaCrosse County board put up a fight calling the BearCat, "An example of government waste."

The full board did finally approve the BearCat, which has been in LaCrosse County since the fall of 2005.