Thursday, July 29, 2010

Dane County, WI: Update: Authorities seek witnesses in officer-involved shooting

Dane County Sheriff's detectives are attempting to locate a male bicyclist who was in the area where deputies shot and killed an armed man Wednesday in the town of Dunkirk.
Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Elise Schaffer said an adult male was bicycling, possibly with two others who might have been children, in the vicinity of 2853 Aaker Road between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., when deputies shot the 42-year-old man after he came out of a garage and fired a shotgun at the deputies.
The Sheriff's Office is asking the cyclist, or any other witnesses, to contact them via the tip line at 284-6900.
Authorities have not released the name of the man killed. An autopsy was scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday.
Dane County property records show the owners of the home are William and Kristi Sorenson. A phone message left for Kristi Sorenson was not returned. But Julie Foley, of the crime response program of the Dane County District Attorney's Office, said in an e-mail, "As you can well imagine the family is fractured over the developments of last night. Kris is in no position to talk and asked that I convey the same."
Deputies were called to the residence at about 7:20 p.m. by the man's wife, who told 911 that her husband was intoxicated and causing a disturbance, and she wanted him removed from the home, Schaffer said.
When deputies arrived, the man came out of the garage with a shotgun and ignored deputies' orders to put the gun down, she said. A deputy fired a less lethal, bean-bag round at the man, who then fired his shotgun at deputies, who returned fire.
Schaffer could not say how many deputies fired or how many shots were fired by deputies or the man killed.
Five deputies and one sergeant who were at the scene at or around the time of the shooting been placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated, in accordance with Sheriff's Office policy, she said.
One of the deputies present at the time of the shooting, who is also a member of the sheriff's Tactical Response Team, recently returned from being placed on leave after a McFarland man was shot and killed by deputies after a four-hour stand-off following a domestic incident July 20, Schaffer said.
All but three of the 17 deputies placed on leave after that incident have been cleared to return to duty, she said.
Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard said Monday none of the deputies involved in the McFarland incident will face criminal charges.
Another deputy involved Wednesday previously was on leave after a July 12 incident in which a Stoughton man shot and killed himself after eluding police who attempted to pull him over for reckless driving.
Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney said Wednesday that deputies have been called to the Aaker Road residence before for domestic incidents, but he would not elaborate. There were children living in the home, but Mahoney didn't know if any were there at the time of the shooting.
The man was pronounced dead by MedFlight staff who responded to the scene.
State Journal reporters Devin Rose and Patricia Simms contributed to this story.

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