MILWAUKEE—A passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over for a registration violation shot and wounded a Milwaukee County sheriff’s deputy while running away from the traffic stop early Wednesday, authorities said.
The deputy was shot in both arms and his torso, but the wounds were not believed to be life-threatening, Sheriff Earnell Lucas said at a news conference.
The deputy had responded as backup after another deputy made the stop, Lucas said. The driver and a passenger ran away, but the driver was arrested after a brief foot chase, the sheriff said.
While searching the area, law enforcement officers encountered a man crouched behind a vehicle, gave him some commands, then heard a single gunshot and found the individual was dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Sheriff’s officials say a preliminary investigation suggests that the man was responsible for shooting the deputy.
No officers fired their weapons during the ordeal, Lucas said.
Another person found walking in the neighborhood was arrested after a brief chase and deputies were trying to determine whether that person was involved in the shooting as well, Lucas said.
The shooting prompted an emergency alert to cellphones telling people to “shelter in place” and to call 911 if needed. The alert was lifted late Wednesday morning.
The wounded deputy was identified as a 26-year-old who had been with the sheriff’s department for 18 months.
Police from Milwaukee and West Allis were assisting in the search, the sheriff’s office said on Twitter. Two area schools switched to online learning Wednesday because of the shooting and the investigation.
