A tense hostage situation inside the Meijer store on Sunset Drive in Waukesha came to an end Thursday evening, July 30, after an officer shot the man holding a fellow shopper against his will, according to the Waukesha Police Department.
Officers say emergency dispatchers got a call just before 6 p.m. from a man claiming to be inside the store with a knife and a hostage. The caller also asked to speak with a trained negotiator, and one did make contact with him by phone while officers made their way to the scene.
How the Standoff Unfolded
When police entered the store, they found the suspect standing close to a 59-year-old man, knife in hand, in the middle of the shopping area with other customers nearby.
Officers repeatedly ordered him to put the weapon down, but he did not comply. Citing the danger the man posed to both the hostage and responding officers, one of them opened fire.
The officer who fired, a 26-year-old with five years on the force, immediately began performing emergency aid on the suspect before paramedics arrived. That officer has since been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure following any police shooting.
The suspect was rushed to a hospital and remains in critical condition; his exact prognosis has not been released. The hostage was also taken to a hospital, where he was treated for injuries described as non-life-threatening. It has not been confirmed whether those injuries came from the knife or another cause. No officers were hurt in the incident.
Investigation Underway
Because Wisconsin law requires an outside agency to review officer-involved shootings, the Greenfield Police Department is leading the investigation through the Milwaukee Area Investigative Team. Its findings will eventually be handed over to the Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office for review.
Investigators have not said whether the suspect and hostage knew one another, though police noted they’d had prior contact with the suspect without elaborating on the nature of those encounters.
The entire incident was captured on officer body cameras. Waukesha Police Chief Daniel Thompson told reporters afterward that he had already reviewed the footage and that the officers involved acted consistently with their training and department policy.
Police have not released the suspect’s identity or age as the investigation continues.
