Deputy known for ‘infectious smile’ shot and killed by DUI suspect, Wisconsin cops say
A sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed by a DUI suspect who veered off a road in rural Wisconsin, officials said.
The deputy, identified as 29-year-old Kaitie Leising, was dispatched to a ditch in Glenwood where a potentially intoxicated man had crashed his car on Sunday, May 7, according to news releases from the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
Upon arriving at the scene, Leising requested that the driver, 34-year-old Jeremiah Johnson, take a sobriety test.
The pair talked for several minutes before Johnson pulled out a handgun and fired at Leising, officials said.
After being struck, Leising fired back three times, missing Johnson, who fled into nearby woods.
Occupants of a nearby vehicle attempted to assist Leising, who was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
About an hour after the shooting, an officer searching for Johnson in a wooded area spotted him. He was pronounced dead and a handgun was found near his body.
“Our love and condolences go out to the family of Kaitie Leising and all those whom she served,” St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson said in the release.
“We, as a law enforcement family, will do everything possible to continue to provide support and comfort to her family,” Knudson added. “We will miss her infectious smile and personality. She will be missed by all she touched.”
Leising joined the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office in 2022, after serving two years at a sheriff’s office in South Dakota, officials said.
“Deputy (Kaitie) Leising served St. Croix County with honor and distinction,” officials wrote in a statement. “Within the last couple weeks she handled a call in Warren (with) great warmth and professionalism. You will not be forgotten.”
State and local authorities are working together on an investigation.
Glenwood is a small town about 60 miles east of Minneapolis.
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