Wis. Gov. Tony Evers: "Our hearts are heavy" after 2 officers killed in line of duty
UPDATE: The fallen officers were identified Monday by the Barron County Sheriff's Department: Chetek PD's Emily Breidenbach, 32, and Cameron PD's Hunter Scheel, 23. What follows is a revised version of the original story.
CAMERON, Wis. -- Two western Wisconsin police officers were fatally shot Saturday afternoon while conducting a traffic stop.
The Barron County Sheriff's Department said the incident occurred near Cameron, about two hours outside of the Twin Cities.
Chetek PD's Emily Breidenbach, 32, and Cameron PD's Hunter Scheel, 23, were conducting a traffic stop around 3:38 p.m. when there was an exchange of gunfire, the Wisconsin Department of Justice reported.
READ MORE: Local law enforcement share condolences for fallen western Wisconsin officers
Both officers were pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect, 50-year-old Glenn Perry, later died at an area hospital. It is still not clear what led up to the shooting.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said he was praying for the community after "this tragic loss."
Our hearts are heavy for the Chetek and Cameron police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty yesterday. Kathy and I are praying for the officers' families, colleagues, and the Barron County community mourning this tragic loss.
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) April 9, 2023
The deaths of the officers have left the community in shock.
"It tears it apart of course. Puts it on edge," Cameron resident Kate King said. "Always wondering who to trust what will happen around the corner. It's a frightening thing."
Multiple police departments took to Facebook to send their condolences to those involved in the incident.
"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 posted on Facebook.
The Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident with assistance from multiple other state and local agencies.
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