'We will miss her': Wisconsin officer killed after being shot by potentially drunken driver

Francisco Guzman, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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A Wisconsin officer was killed in the line of duty Saturday after being shot by a potentially drunken driver, authorities say.

St. Croix County Sheriff’s Deputy Kaitie Leising , 29, was dispatched around 6:15 p.m. local time to the township of Glenwood on a report that a potentially drunken driver was in a ditch, the Wisconsin Department of Justice said in a news release.

When Leising arrived at the scene, she asked the driver, Jeremiah D. Johnson, to participate in field sobriety tests. After about eight minutes of dialogue between the two, Johnson drew a handgun and shot her, the state DOJ said.

St. Croix County Sheriff’s Deputy Kaitie Leising was killed in the line of duty Saturday after getting shot by a potentially drunken driver.
St. Croix County Sheriff’s Deputy Kaitie Leising was killed in the line of duty Saturday after getting shot by a potentially drunken driver.

Leising shot at Johnson three times before he fled to the nearby wooded area. None of the rounds hit Johnson.

Witnesses who had stopped to assist the driver in the ditch helped Leising before officers arrived. Authorities transported the deputy to a local hospital where she later died.

Officers searched the woods near the scene and found Johnson an hour after the shooting incident. According to the release, an officer witnessed Johnson die from a self inflicted gunshot wound.

'We will miss her infectious smile and personality'

Leising, 29, joined St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office in 2022 after serving at the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office in South Dakota for two years.

Officers escorted Leising from the medical examiner's office in Ramsey County, Minnesota to the funeral home. “Deputies and officers will stand vigil by her side until the services are complete,” the sheriff's office said in a news release.

"Our love and condolences go out to the family of Kaitie Leising and all those with whom she served. We, as a law enforcement family, will do everything possible to continue to provide support and comfort to her family," the sheriff's office said.

"We will miss her infectious smile and personality. She will be missed by all she touched."

Investigation underway

The Wisconsin DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident. The DCI will be assisted by the Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin State Crime Lab and a DCI Crime Response Specialist.

“DCI is continuing to review evidence and determine the facts of this incident and will turn over investigative reports to the St. Croix County District Attorney when the investigation concludes,” the state DOJ said in the release.

The St. Croix County Sheriff's Office Facebook page updated its profile photo to a sheriff’s badge with a black ribbon draped over it.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wisconsin shooting: St. Croix sheriff's deputy killed in Glenwood City