MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee County Sheriff's Deputy was shot multiple times after a traffic stopWednesday morning near I-94 at Hawley Road.
Sheriff Earnell Lucas visited the wounded deputy at the hospital.
"I stopped and visited with our deputy this morning, he was conscious and alert and was in good spirits. I'm told his condition is improving," said Lucas.
A Milwaukee County Sheriff's deputy stopped a vehicle for a registration violation near 68th and Adler. They say the driver got out of the car and ran but they caught up to that person nearby.
The passenger in that car fled on foot. He was found climbing into a garbage can when deputies found him near 64th and Adler. The man then fired multiple shots at a 26-year-old deputy, ran off, and took his own life.
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Sheriff's say the deputy was shot multiple times in both the arm and torso. He was then taken to a hospital where he is now recovering.
According to the Sheriff's office, the injured deputy has only been on the job for about a year and a half. They are grateful one of their members will be OK as this is the second time this month a member of law enforcement was shot on duty.
"He was in good spirits, the prognosis is good, but again he's got a ways to go but we're very fortunate. Our deputy will be able to get through this through his family, friends, his co-workers, and as someone who has been through this experience, I certainly can recall what it's like," said Lucas.
Sheriff Lucas was shot in the face in 1982. He was also a young officer and on duty at the time.
"As I was responding out to the scene this morning, it took me back to my own experience on a similar cold morning in January. By that afternoon, I was in a hospital surrounded by family, friends, and co-workers. I mentioned that to our deputy this morning."
Sheriff Lucas believes that support played a huge part in how he has healed from that traumatic experience.
"We all swear an oath, we have a lot of pride in the work that we do and we're committed to keeping our community safe. All of us now are just rallied around to ensure that our deputy knows that he has a great support network to help him see this situation through."
