During a routine traffic stop on Saturday, two Wisconsin police officers and an armed driver were shot and killed, according to authorities.
The details of the violent confrontation are unclear, but according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, it happened around 3:38 pm in the community of Cameron in the state’s northwest when a Chetek officer performed what should have been a routine pull-over.
According to officials, at some point after a second Cameron police arrived on the scene, shooting started, killing both officers.
The driver was brought to the hospital, where it was also determined that they had passed away.
Authorities stated that the investigation into the incident is still ongoing. The identities of the officers and the driver have not been made public.
Josh Kaul, the attorney general of Wisconsin, said in a statement, “I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss today of two officers. I am thinking of their families and the Chetek and Cameron Police Departments at this incredibly difficult time.”
The investigation into the shooting is being handled by the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation, with support from the sheriff’s offices in Barron and Rusk counties, the Wisconsin State Patrol, the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, and a DCI Crime Response specialist.
Residents and adjacent police agencies have expressed their sorrow and apprehension in response to the policemen’ deaths, which have shocked the neighborhood.
Barron County Sheriff’s Department stated, “Our thoughts and prayers are with Cameron and Chetek Police Departments.”
“We are with heavy hearts as we’ve heard about the loss of 2 officers in Barron County. Our hearts go out to the families of the officers, as well as to their colleagues, friends, and the communities they served,” the Oconto Police Department wrote on Facebook.
“It is with heavy hearts, we send our thoughts and prayers to the Village of Cameron Police Department, the City of Chetek Police Department, the Barron County community, and the families of two officers lost in the line of duty today. Rest easy, we have the watch from here,” The Hudson Police Department tweeted about the tragedy.
