MILWAUKEE — St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson had emotional words about one of his deputies who died in the line of duty over the weekend.
St. Croix County Deputy Kaitie Leising died after she was shot by an alleged DIU driver during a traffic stop in northwestern Wisconsin.
The shooting of Deputy Lessing, 29, makes 2023 the deadliest year for law enforcement in Wisconsin since 2000. She is the fourth law enforcement officer to be killed this year.
That weight on Sheriff Knudson's shoulders was apparent; he talked about how many in the profession are feeling weary under the increasing risk of being hurt or killed on the job. But the sheriff also acknowledged the love the community has shown towards Lessing's family and members of law enforcement.
"I wanted to reach out and thank so many people," Sheriff Knudson said during the press conference. "We really appreciate the outpouring of support from our community. Whether inside or out St. Croix County for the loss of Kaitie Leising. She was a wonderful deputy, her smile says it all. You can see in that photo. I don't think anyone told her to smile for that photo. That was Kaitie. And that's how she did her job."
Watch the full press conference at the top of this article.
Previous reporting below:
Wisconsin sheriff's deputy shot and killed by DUI suspect
By The Associated Press, May 07, 2023
GLENWOOD, Wis. (AP) — A suspected drunken driver shot and killed a Wisconsin sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop before running into some nearby woods and killing himself, authorities said Sunday.
During a conversation about field sobriety tests, Jeremiah Johnson was “evasive,” drew a handgun and shot St. Croix County Deputy Kaitie Leising in Glenwood, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Minneapolis, the state Department of Justice said.
“After being struck, Deputy Leising discharged her weapon three times, but none of the rounds hit Johnson before he fled to the nearby wooded area,” the agency said.
People in another vehicle began lifesaving measures Saturday, but Leising, 29, was pronounced dead at a hospital.
An hour after the shooting, an officer heard a gunshot in the woods and saw Johnson, 34, fall to the ground, investigators said.
Leising was hired by St. Croix County in 2022 after she spent approximately two years working for the sheriff's office in Pennington County, South Dakota, St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson said.
Leising's body was being escorted by police back to Wisconsin from the medical examiner's office in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“We will miss her infectious smile and personality. She will be missed by all she touched,” Knudson said.
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