TOMAH
POLICE DEPARTMENT"Serving the Community"
OFFICE: 608-374-7400
EMERGENCY: DIAL 911
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Date of Release: April 23, 2011; 2:45 p.m.
Date/Time of Incident: April 22, 2011; 6:25 p.m.
Type of Incident: Officer Involved Shooting
Place of Occurrence: 200 Block of East Saratoga
Suspect: White male, 28 years of age, deceased
Summary of
Incident:
On April 22, 2011 at approximately 6:25 p.m. officers were conducting a
follow up investigation into a drive-by shooting which occurred on April
22, 2011 at 1:38 p.m. Officers initiated a traffic stop on a
vehicle near the intersection of Kilbourn Avenue and East Saratoga in
the City of Tomah.
The preliminary investigation indicates that the driver of the vehicle
exited the vehicle and immediately fired upon officers. One Tomah
Police Department Officer received a gunshot wound. Officers
returned fire. The suspect returned to and entered his vehicle.
Officers requested assistance from the Monroe County Sheriff’s
Department, the Wisconsin State Patrol, the Juneau County Sheriff’s
Department, the Sparta Police Department, the Tomah Area Ambulance
Service and the Tomah Fire Department. In addition, officers
requested the use of the Bearcat Armored Vehicle from the LaCrosse
County Sheriff’s Department.
The incident was contained until the arrival of the Bearcat Armored
Vehicle. Once on scene, the Bearcat Armored Vehicle was used to
safely approach the suspect and his vehicle. The suspect was
located in his vehicle, deceased.
The Division of Criminal Investigation and the Wisconsin Crime Lab are
assisting the Tomah Police Department in this investigation in
consultation with the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office.
The evidence found at the location of the drive-by shooting that
occurred on April 22, at 1:38 p.m. will be compared by the Wisconsin
Crime Laboratory personnel to the evidence that was obtained from the
location of the traffic stop. The purpose of the comparison is to
determine whether or not the two incidents are related.
As a result of the suspect firing rounds at the Officers, Officer Josh
Kenworthy was wounded. Officer Kenworthy was transported to Tomah
Memorial Hospital by the Tomah Area Ambulance Service and then on to La
Crosse where he underwent orthopedic surgery. Officer Kenworthy’s
prognosis looks good at this time; however, he remains hospitalized.
The names of the other Tomah Police Department personnel who assisted
with the traffic stop will not be released at this time. The
Division of Criminal Investigation has not completed interviews with the
officers at this time. The names of the officers will be released
as part of a future press release after the interviews have been
completed.
In a previous press release, I indicated that the suspect was a white
male, 28 years of age. As a result of the continuing investigative
activities, we are working to confirm whether or not the identification
that was found with the suspect is his true identity. We are
working with the Wisconsin State Crime Lab to gather fingerprints and
have them processed to assist in establishing the identity. After
the identity is confirmed, we will then have to notify the suspect’s
immediate family.
The autopsy on the suspect was scheduled to take place today at 10:00
a.m. in Madison.
We do know that the vehicle that the suspect was driving at the time of
the traffic stop was stolen from the State of Wyoming.
As more information becomes available it will be provided to you by way
of a press release. When we find it necessary to hold another
press conference we will notify you of the date, time and location.
This is a traumatic set of circumstances for Officer Kenworthy and his
family. Please keep them, the other officers and all of the
emergency personnel in your thoughts. They are often called upon to put
themselves in harm’s way to protect our community.
Wesley D. Revels
Chief of Police 608-374-7403 4-23-11
Tomah Police Department
805 Superior Ave.
Tomah, WI 54660
608-374-7400
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