GLENWOOD, Wis. — St. Croix County Sheriff’s Deputy Kaitie Leising was killed in the line of duty Saturday evening, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
Her funeral will be held at Hudson High School on Friday, May 12, with a public visitation from 9 a.m. to noon. A service with law enforcement honors will follow directly after. Gov. Tony Evers also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on Friday to honor Leising.
The DOJ said that at approximately 6:15 p.m., Leising was dispatched for a report of a potential drunk driver in a ditch.
Shortly after Leising arrived at the scene, she encountered the driver of the vehicle, identified as Jeremiah Daniel Johnson of Minnesota, 34, in a ditch, along with another vehicle of individuals that stopped to assist Johnson.
Officials said Leising requested Johnson to take field sobriety tests before returning to his vehicle. They talked for eight minutes, according to St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson. Johnson reportedly attempted to avoid taking the tests and after several minutes, the DOJ said he turned toward Leising, drew a handgun and shot her. After being struck, Leising discharged her weapon, but none of the rounds hit Johnson before he fled to the nearby wooded area.
According to the DOJ, the occupants of the assisting vehicle immediately began lifesaving measures on Leising before she was taken to an area hospital where she later died.
Law enforcement later found Jordan in the wooded area after hearing a gunshot and witnessed him collapsing to the ground. A handgun was recovered at the scene where Johnson was located, deceased.
The incident was captured on body camera and the DOJ said there is no threat to the community.
DCI will continue to review evidence and determine the facts of this incident and will turn over reports to the St. Croix County District Attorney when the investigation is finished.
Leising was born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, according to her obiturary.
"From a young age, Kaitie knew she wanted to go into law enforcement," it read.
Leising served with the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office since 2022, the sheriff's office said. She previously worked with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office in South Dakota for two years, before she and her wife Courtney Leising decided to move to Wisconsin.
Knudson said her wife works for the National Park Service.
In addition to her wife, Leising left behind a 3-month-old son, Syler.
“We will miss her infectious smile and personality. She will be missed by all she touched,” Knudson said.
“Deputy Kaitie Leising was admired by her colleagues and community alike for the positivity, drive, and dedication to service she carried with her every day,” said Evers in a press release Tuesday. “The weight of Deputy Leising’s death is a loss felt by folks across the state."
At a press conference Tuesday, Knudson went on to talk about how law enforcement is hurting in the region.
“We are tired. My whole profession is tired. We have to do better. and part of that is honoring Kaitie — the loss that she gave. She gave her entire life to this profession,” he said.
“What a wonderful young lady that was stolen by some criminal," Knudson added.
The sheriff's department said those interested in making a donation can do so at any branch of the WESTconsin Credit Union by writing a check to Benefit of Deputy Leising. Checks, they said, can also be dropped off at the department.
Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said the family has also asked for donations to be sent to National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, in leiu of flowers for the funeral.
The department also asked people to refrain from contacting Leising's family to respect their privacy.