May 7, 2023 8:30a; Updated 4:15p
(WGTD)---A law enforcement officer has died in a shooting in northwest Wisconsin, the second such incident in as many months.
St. Croix County Deputy Sheriff Kaitie Leising was shot Saturday night by a suspected drunk driver who refused to undergo a field sobriety test.
The incident was captured on body cam, according to the state Justice Dept.
The gunman--identified as 34-year-old Jeremiah D. Johnson--fled into a wooded area where he eventually shot and killed himself.
The 29-year-old Leising had about three years' of law enforcement experience.
Last month two officers from a pair of small-town police departments in Barron County died in an exchange of gunfire following a traffic stop. The gunman in that case was wanted on a warrant and had a history of domestic violence. Barron County is diagonally adjacent to St. Croix County.
This weekend's incident began when Leising was dispatched at about 6:15 Saturday evening to deal with a suspected drunk in a ditch. She arrived to find two vehicles on scene, with the occupants of the second vehicle trying to assist the first individual.
Johnson reportedly refused to participate in the sobriety test. After about eight minutes of dialogue, Johnson reportedly drew a gun and shot the deputy, who returned the fire. All three of her shots missed their mark and Johnson fled. Awhile later, another law enforcement officer heard a gunshot and saw Johnson fall to the ground.
The news release indicated that the subjects who had stopped to assist Johnson tried to perform life-saving measures on Leising. She was transported to a local hospital where she eventually was pronounced dead.
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