Barron County police shooting justified, DA's office rules
BARRON COUNTY, Wis. - The Barron County district attorney described the actions of a gunman involved in a deadly shootout with two police officers as "the epitome of evil."
Footage from the encounter, which left all three people dead, was released Friday, May 19 by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The district attorney said it shows the officers were not only justified in using deadly force, but should be remembered as heroes.
"He’s got a rifle, he’s got a rifle – shots fired, shots fired," Cameron Police Officer Hunter Scheel is heard saying in body camera video.
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According to the district attorney's report, Chetek Police Officer Emily Breidenbach pulled over 50-year-old Glenn Perry with Scheel as backup on April 8. Perry had a warrant out for his arrest.
The day before the shooting, a sheriff's department captain cautioned law enforcement officers about Perry – noting he carried a gun and may have been mentally unstable.
Chetek Police Officer Emily Breidenbach and Cameron Police Officer Hunter Scheel. (Supplied)
The district attorney said Perry opened his door and immediately fired his AR-15 at Breidenbach. She and Scheel fired back. At one point, Scheel was shot and on the ground when Perry shot him twice more from close range.
Responding officers found Perry hurt. In the exchange of gunfire, Perry was hit in the leg. He ultimately died.
The scene where two police officers were killed in Barron County, Wisconsin on Saturday. ( )
"The bad guy’s also shot," a responding officer is heard saying in the video.
The investigation showed Perry also had a handgun, and between that and his rifle, had an additional 23 rounds.
The district attorney wrote Perry, who killed the two officers in a matter of 45 seconds, almost certainly would have put more people in danger if given more time. Though the two officers are dead, the district attorney said their bravery, courage and sacrifice saved countless lives.
AR-15 that Glenn Perry used to fatally shoot Officer Breidenbach and Officer Scheel.
9mm handgun with nine live rounds found on Glenn Perry
Perry had expressed animosity toward law enforcement for years, the district attorney's report also noted.
Breidenbach, 32, had five years of law enforcement experience. Scheel, 23, had about one year of experience.
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Excerpts from Barron County District Attorney Brian Wright's report:
"There were no mitigating factors to Perry's actions. Perry made the conscious, deliberate and premeditated decision to murder two police officers. Perry remained heavily armed, and was intent on kill any law enforcement officer who attempted to take him into custody."
"The deaths of Officer Breidenbach and Officer Scheel are a stark reminder of how police officers put their lives on the line each and every day to protect us. The sworn duty of police officers to serve and protect should be revered whenever we remember the bravery, courage and sacrifice of Officer Breidenbach and Officer Scheel."