Sources tell WRN that a Milwaukee police officer has been shot in the 3500 Block of N. 11th St.
The suspect fatally shot himself, sources say.
According to Milwaukee police, on Friday, August 26, 2022, at approximately 11:54 a.m., Milwaukee Police officers “were looking for an individual, wanted for violating a felony domestic abuse injunction, on the 1100 block of W. Keefe Avenue.”
Officers observed the wanted suspect and approached him, “at which time the suspect fled on foot and a foot pursuit ensued. During the pursuit, the suspect fired shots at officers. An officer returned fire; however, it does not appear that anyone was struck during that exchange of gunfire,” the MPD wrote.
“The suspect continued to flee and discharged his firearm at officers again. Officers did not return fire during this subsequent encounter. Ultimately, the suspect fled into a backyard on the 3500 block of N. 11th Street, at which time he discharged a firearm at his head,” the statement read.
“After officers approached the suspect, for officer safety, the officers stabilized the suspect with a tactical ballistic shield when the suspect’s firearm inadvertently discharged, subsequently striking a nearby officer. The suspect’s firearm was recovered. ”
The suspect, a 43-year-old Milwaukee man, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“The officer that was struck is a 36-year-old male with over 5 years of service. He was transported to a hospital for treatment of non-fatal injuries,” said MPD.
Sources told us before the MPD statement was released that the officer was shot in the leg on the afternoon of Aug. 26, 2022. The details were very conflicting as news of the shooting just broke, but we were told that the officer may have been shot with the deceased suspect’s gun when they rolled him over after the suspect shot himself. The dead suspect’s finger was still on the trigger.
The shooting of the Milwaukee police officer comes as the homicides continue to skyrocket in the City of Milwaukee.
We’ve written several stories recently underscoring the dangers to officers; the number of officers on the Milwaukee force has plummeted by at least 18% since 1995, police have been told to stop arresting people on misdemeanor warrants, and state and city officials (such as Gov. Tony Evers) have poured millions of dollars into an “Office of Violence Prevention” that has blown money on administration, consultants, salaries and frivolities not directly connected to immediate drops in crime.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Josh Kaul was focused Friday on threats to election workers, not threats to police officers.
Eric Toney, Fond du Lac County District Attorney and Republican candidate for AG, released this statement:
“Law enforcement officers serve and protect us by risking their lives every day to help keep us safe. I am relieved to hear that the injuries suffered by the police officer in Milwaukee today appear to be non-fatal and I wish the officer a speedy recovery.
“As we continue to wait for all of the facts to emerge, I commend the MPD for providing information on this afternoon’s critical incident quickly and transparently. Providing information early in investigations is crucial to public safety. It appears the suspect in today’s incident was wanted for a domestic abuse injunction and may have exchanged gunfire with the police prior to taking his own life. Milwaukee is on pace to set a murder record for a third year in a row, as we are experiencing historic violence and a drug epidemic across Wisconsin. We need leaders that will enforce the rule of law and stand with our law enforcement, not the political rhetoric and public safety failures of Governor Evers and Attorney General Kaul.”
