RICE LAKE, Wis — Officials say they will release the names of two Wisconsin police officers from Chetek and nearby Cameron who were fatally shot during a traffic stop Saturday.
They will also share the name of the motorist suspected in the killings Monday afternoon.
On Monday morning officers gathered outside a funeral home in the community of Barron to begin a procession that will deliver the bodies of those slain officers to a medical examiner's office in Minnesota for autopsies. They stood silently while saluting a hearse and formation of squads that will make up that procession.
Another procession will return them to Barron between 5 and 8 p.m. Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald says the names of both officers and the man suspected of shooting them will be publicly released at approximately 2 p.m. Monday. Fitzgerald says a press conference to update the case may follow at approximately 4 p.m.
The city of Chetek posted on social media that around 3:38 p.m. Saturday, April 8, an officer conducted a traffic stop that led to guns being fired. Both the Chetek officer and an officer from neighboring Cameron, who was helping with the stop, were struck and died at the scene.
No information has been released about the person the officers were stopping. Officials said that person was taken to a hospital where they later died. Nothing about that person's age or the circumstances around the traffic stop is known.
Multiple law enforcement organizations are investigating the shooting, including field agents with the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
Community members stepped up with an outpouring of love and support for the two officers, leaving bouquets of flowers and messages outside the police stations in Chetek and Cameron. The Village of Cameron Police Department posted on Sunday afternoon, asking the community to respect the privacy of law enforcement officers and their families at this time.
"We want to thank the community for their continued support and overwhelming acts of kindness. The support has been tremendous!" wrote Chief Adam Steffen.
Police departments from the surrounding areas also posted their condolences for the officers killed over the weekend.
The Village of East Troy's police department, located near Milwaukee, posted their thoughts and prayers.
Police in Hudson, Wisconsin, also sent support to the Village of Cameron Police Department, the City of Chetek Police Department, the Barron County community and the families of two officers, saying "Rest easy, we have the watch from here."
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers posted Sunday on Twitter "Our hearts are heavy for the Chetek and Cameron police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty yesterday. Kathy and I are praying for the officers' families, colleagues, and the Barron community mourning this tragic loss."
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