WAUWATOSA — Wauwatosa police said on Monday that three of their officers were shot and injured at the Radisson Hotel late Saturday night.
Police said during a press briefing that charges are expected to be filed soon against the suspect, who is in custody. The officers meanwhile are on the "road to recovery," police said.
The officers injured are:
- A 32-year-old with 11 years of experience. He suffered two gunshot wounds
- A 31-year-old with 8 years of experience. He suffered a bullet graze
- A 32-year-old with 7 years of experience. He also suffered two gunshot wounds
Officers were called to the hotel at 2303 N. Mayfair Rd. around 10:33 p.m. Saturday. People there told officers they heard the shots on the second floor hallway of the hotel.
Officers began checking the rooms on that floor for injured people, said Wauwatosa police Lt. Shane Wrucke at the briefing. While "attempting contact" to one of the rooms, the officers were met with gunfire.
The officers returned fire but did not hit the suspect, Wrucke said. The suspect eventually exited the room and was taken into police custody.
Two firearms were recovered from the room, and charges are expected to be filed against the suspect in the coming days, police said.
Police identified the suspect as a 33-year-old resident of Milwaukee. They believe he acted alone during the incident.
Tosa police are investigating the initial shots fired, while Milwaukee police were brought in to investigate the incident in which the officers were shot.
Wrucke said at this time they believe the two incidents are unrelated.
TMJ4's Vince Vitrano was attending an event at the hotel at the time of the shooting.
He said he saw a woman come running from the elevator area, yelling as at least two police squads pull up to the hotel. Then, he noticed three or four officers with long guns standing in the lobby.
In a Facebook live video he recounted the experience:
No other injuries were reported.
In a statement, Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride said, “I am grateful for the courage and dedication of the Wauwatosa police officers who were injured in the line of duty last night. I know the entire community joins me in condemning this senseless violence and in wishing our officers a swift recovery.”
TMJ4 also spoke with several guests who stayed overnight and checked out Sunday morning.
Rochelle, a Milwaukee native visiting from Phoenix, said she went to check in about 11 p.m. but was told to wait in the lobby. She chose instead to wait in the first floor bar.
"And that's when everything took, a fall. We heard shots from the second floor. We never knew it was a police officer wounded until the last minute. So yeah, we was down there on the floor a pretty long time," said Rochelle.
Other guests, like Moni, from Garland, Texas, also spent time huddled on the floor of the bar.
"You fear for your life. You don't know what to do. I've never been in a situation like that. So you just kind of hope the officers know how to deescalate and get what they need to get," said Moni.
Eventually, the group of guests returned to their seats and were offered a drink on the house.
