Wisconsin records highest number of officers feloniously killed in a single year since 1998

Assaults on police officers in Wisconsin have increased 42% over the past five years

Less than five months into 2023, Wisconsin has recorded the highest number of felonious line-of-duty officer deaths in a single year since at least 1998, according to officials.

"There is, for whatever reason that I can't explain … a pretty clear increased willingness on the part of individuals to confront officers with violence or some sort of use of force, and a growing proportion of those involved individuals doing so with a firearm," Wisconsin Professional Police Association (WPPA) Executive Director Jim Palmer told Fox News Digital.

The WPPA, sourcing data from the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial, has recorded four felonious law enforcement officer deaths so far in 2023 — the highest number of felonious killings since at least 1998, when two officers died by gunfire and three died in automobile crashes while serving in the line of duty.

Croix County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Kaitie Leising's May 6 killing marked the state's fourth line-of-duty death so far this year.

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Croix County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Kaitie Leising's May 6 killing marked the state's fourth line-of-duty death so far this year. (Pennington County Sheriff's Office)

The 29-year-old officer, a new mother, was investigating a vehicle that drove into a ditch when the intoxicated driver exchanged gunfire with the officer, killing her at the scene.

Lesing asked the suspect, Jeremiah Johnson, to perform field sobriety tests, but after about eight minutes of negotiating, Johnson turned toward Leising, drew a handgun and shot her, the DOJ said in a press release.

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Leising had been an officer with the Croix County Sheriff's Office since 2022 and had previously worked for the Pennington County Sheriff's Office for two years.

The 29-year-old officer, a new mother, was investigating a vehicle in a ditch when a drunk driver exchanged gunfire with the officer, killing her at the scene. (Pennington County Sheriff's Office)

"Kaitlin was an outstanding law enforcement officer, positively impacting many in our county," Pennington County Sheriff Brian Mueller said in a statement. "Most importantly, she was an outstanding human being."

Mueller added that officers risk their lives "every single day" on the job. "Our hearts break with the loss of this brave Deputy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kaitlin’s family at this difficult time," he said.

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Prior to Leising's death, Chetek Police Department Officer Emily Breidenbach and Cameron Police Department Officer Timothy Scheel both died in a shootout on April 8, and Milwaukee Police Department Officer Peter Jerving died by gunfire on Feb. 7.

Chetek Police Department Officer Emily Breidenbach and Cameron Police Department Officer Timothy Scheel both died in a shootout on April 8, (Chetek Police Department and Cameron Police Department )

The 19-year-old suspect accused of shooting Jerving was on probation at the time of the alleged attack.

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"It's shocking. One death is law enforcement is one too many, but when you have a state that's experiencing this level of officer-involved felonious deaths, it's a wake-up call to all of us," said Todd Axtell, the former St. Paul, Minnesota, police chief and CEO of The Axtell Group. "It's still May, and there's a lot of the year left ahead of us. I just hope and pray we have observed our last, but I know better."

Milwaukee Police Officer Peter Jerving, 37, had wanted to serve as a police officer since he was 13 years old, officials said. (Milwaukee Police Department)

Four Wisconsin officers died in the line of duty in 2000, two of whom died in an aircraft accident, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page (OMPD) and WPPA.

OMPD lists five officers who died in the line of duty in 2021, including four who died of COVID-19, but Palmer said the WPPA determined that not all of those victims died of COVID-19 while serving in the line of duty.

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Palmer attributed the rising number of felonious officer deaths in Wisconsin to three factors: First, police staffing in Wisconsin, like other states across the country, has reached historic lows — the lowest since at least 2008, according to WPPA data. Second, assaults on police officers in Wisconsin have increased 42% over the past five years. Lastly, assaults against Wisconsin officers increasingly involve firearms rather than other weapons.

Assaults on police officers in Wisconsin have increased 42% over the past five years, according to WPPA. (Kerem Yucel / AFP)

"[V]iolent crime has increased in Wisconsin higher than the national average," Palmer said, citing Justice Department statistics. 

No Wisconsin officers died in the line of duty last year, when the FBI recorded 60 officers feloniously killed nationwide, representing a nearly 18% decrease since 73 officers feloniously killed 2021, according to data released Monday.

Those 73 officer deaths, however, represent the highest recorded number of officers feloniously killed over two decades, at least, since 9/11

Axtell described "the disregard for human life" targeting law enforcement officers as "disgusting," and he believes recent statistics prove that the entire U.S. criminal justice system "is supporting victims of crime and making sure there is accountability when a crime is committed."

"All to often, I’ve seen people who should be serving their time in incarceration for violent crimes getting their hands on illegal firearms and using those firearms in the commission of crimes that are also leaving to higher numbers of officer deaths. That needs to stop," he said.

The former police chief advised officers to continue to engage with community members and "prepared for that worst day, not paranoid," and by making sure they defend themselves and their neighbors.