Douglas County officer, suspect shot in Superior
Douglas County (trfnews.i234.me) – A traffic stop after a reported domestic dispute in Superior ended with an officer and a suspect shot, and the suspect later crashed into a local school.
Domestic call leads to gunfire
Police say the incident began around 2:44 a.m. on Sunday, December 7.
Officers were sent to a possible domestic dispute in Superior. A vehicle believed to be tied to the dispute was later stopped near Tower Avenue and North 37th Street.
Investigators say the driver got out of the vehicle with a semi-automatic rifle. The suspect then opened fire on officers and a squad car, hitting one officer.
Police say two officers returned fire. The suspect was hit by at least one round.
Suspect flees, crashes into school
After the exchange of gunfire, the suspect got back into the vehicle and drove away from the scene.
Officers say the suspect drove to a local school building and crashed there. The crash happened several hours after the first call.
Police arrested the suspect at the school shortly after 7 a.m. Authorities say guns were recovered from the vehicle, including the rifle used in the shooting.
Mayor praises officer’s actions
Superior Mayor Jim Paine spoke at a news conference on Sunday. He said the community is safe because officers chose to confront the armed suspect.
The mayor highlighted the actions of the officer who was shot and continued to engage the suspect. He called that decision “extreme bravery” and said the officer “took a bullet for the people of Superior.”
Paine also thanked the many agencies that came to help the city. He said he looks forward to publicly recognizing the officers once the case moves forward.
The Superior police chief also praised the officer’s conduct. He said body camera video showed calm actions under heavy, accurate gunfire directed at the squad car.
The officer and the suspect were treated at the hospital
Police say both the officer and the suspect were taken to a hospital after the shooting.
The officer was treated and later released. The suspect was treated and then booked into jail.
No other injuries were reported. Officials say there is no ongoing threat to the public, and the school building involved in the crash will be checked for damage.
State investigation and possible charges
The Wisconsin Department of Justice is now reviewing the officer-involved shooting. The agency often serves as an outside investigator in these types of cases in Wisconsin.
Investigators will submit a report to the Douglas County Attorney. That office will review the officers’ use of force and decide if it was legally justified.
Police expect the suspect to face attempted homicide charges. Other charges related to the domestic dispute, the shooting, and the school crash are also possible as the investigation continues.
What remains unknown
Authorities have not yet released the suspect’s name. Police say they believe the suspect is a resident of Superior.
Officers recovered several guns from the suspect’s vehicle. That includes the semi-automatic rifle used to fire at the officer.
Officials say more information will be released once the state investigation moves ahead and charges are filed in court.
For more on the Superior Police Department and its work in the community, residents can visit the city’s official website. For details on how the Wisconsin Department of Justice handles officer-involved critical incidents, information is available on the DOJ site.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
