Sheriff’s Deputy Shot During Traffic Stop, Early Morning Alert Sent

A Milwaukee County Sheriff‘s deputy was shot during an early morning traffic stop near W. Adler St. and S. 68th St., just south of Interstate 94.

According to a statement from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, a passenger in the vehicle fled on foot and a deputy who initiated the stop followed on foot.

“During the foot pursuit, near 64th & Adler the deputy suffered multiple gunshot injuries,” said the department.

MCSO deployed an emergency alert system that sent thousands of area cell phones buzzing at 3:51 a.m. “64th/Dixon – Shelter in place. Fleeing suspect. Armed and dangerous,” said the alert. The alert described the suspect as “Male/Black, Skinny build, Black t-shirt, no coat.”

During a media briefing on Wednesday morning, Sheriff Earnell Lucas said the incident began at 2:08 a.m. after a vehicle was pulled over for a registration violation. Both the driver and passenger fled on foot, with the driver soon apprehended.

After 3 a.m., a deputy spotted an individual climb out of a garbage can and a perimeter was established. The suspect was spotted again and shot at deputies.

During a subsequent search, an individual was spotted behind a vehicle near S. 60th St. and W. Main St. said Lucas. After verbal orders from a deputy, that individual shot themselves in the head and died. Lucas said, as of his 8:30 a.m. press conference, it hasn’t been determined if that individual was the suspect.

But the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management issued a new countywide cellphone message at approximately 11 a.m. rescinding the shelter-at-home order. MCSO later confirmed the individual that is believed to have shot himself is the suspect.

Lucas, who himself was shot in the line of duty decades ago, confirmed the injured deputy is 26 years old and has been with the department for 18 months. “Thank goodness his injuries, at this point, do not appear to be life threatening,” said the sheriff.

In a statement, the emergency management office said it cannot use the FEMA alert system at the neighborhood level and must send alerts to the entire county. Lucas, at the time of his morning press conference, originally said he wasn’t how far and wide the message went. He said it was initiated by a lieutenant and the emergency management office isn’t under his management.

Milwaukee Public Schools enacted virtual schooling for two nearby schools as a result of the shelter-in-place order. Both MacDowell Montessori School and Burbank Elementary School offered remote learning on Wednesday.

It’s the second time in two weeks that a law enforcement officer was shot in Milwaukee. An off-duty MPD detective was shot and injured in the Historic Third Ward when he interrupted an attempted carjacking. Three people have been charged, but the suspected shooter, Keasean J. Ellis-Brown, is still at large. The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

This story was updated at 2:58 p.m. with additional information