MILWAUKEE — A person shot and wounded a Milwaukee County sheriff’s deputy while fleeing from a traffic stop early Wednesday, authorities said.
The 26-year-old deputy responded as backup after another deputy made the stop shortly after 2 a.m. The driver and a passenger ran away, but the driver was arrested after a brief foot chase, Sheriff Earnell Lucas said during a news conference.
Law enforcement said the deputy was shot multiple times in the arms and torso. He was conscious, breathing and receiving treatment following the shooting. He has since been hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries.
Officials are still looking for the shooting suspect. Names of the deputy and the suspected shooter weren’t immediately released, however the deputy has been with the sheriff’s department for 18 months.
The vehicle was pulled over for a registration violation, Lucas said.
The shooting prompted an emergency alert to cellphones telling people to “shelter in place” and to call 911 if needed. The shelter-in-place was lifted at 10:50 a.m.
Police from Milwaukee and West Allis were assisting in the search, the sheriff’s office said on Twitter. Two area schools switched to online learning Wednesday due to the incident.
Investigators are also working to determine whether a person found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in the neighborhood was connected to the shooting. That person had been found behind a vehicle.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.