Man killed in officer-involved shooting in Eagle after gun incident, authorities say

EAGLE - A 39-year-old man died after he was shot by a Waukesha County Sheriff's Office deputy in the town of Eagle, where according to authorities the man had been seen firing a weapon outside his residence.

The incident began at about 12:25 p.m. Thursday, when a 911 call to the Waukesha County Communications Center indicated that the man was heard and seen firing rounds near his residence on Lower Clarks Park Road, about a quarter-mile from the Eagleville Elementary Charter School off County Highway LO.

The man, who sheriff department officials said acted alone, was pronounced dead at the scene after police and emergency personnel attempted life-saving aid.

In a news conference held just hours after the shooting, Waukesha County Sheriff Eric Severson answered some, though not all, questions about the circumstances that led up to the shooting.

"We're here to tell you what we know and what we can," Severson said, when asked about the appropriateness of the police response. "The initial information is that the officer (who fired) felt his life was in danger and responded as he was trained. I have no information at this time that contradicts that. However, that's why we have another agency come in and provide a detailed investigation."

Severson said three WCSO deputies plus law enforcement personnel from other agencies located the man, and, at some point after that, one of the three deputies opened fire.

Questions that included the man's mental health state, including why he was seen shooting randomly in the largely residential neighborhood, were left unanswered. Severson said he had no immediate knowledge if authorities had previously been called to his residence for any other problem.

Many of the answers will come from the Walworth County Sheriff's Office, the agency which will conduct a third-party investigation in accordance with rules for officer-involved shootings, he said.

The shooting resulted in a lockdown at the Eagleville school, part of the Mukwonago School District. Severson said there's no further threat to the community following the shooting, though the emotional impact is present.

"This is a difficult reality of law enforcement," he said. "Our condolences go out to the family (of the man), and we are also concerned about the well-being of the deputies and officers as well who responded to the scene, as well as their families."

The man's identity was not released. Severson and Walworth County Undersheriff Tom Hausner, who spoke briefly at the news conference, said that information would become available after the medical examiner's report and the notification of family members.

Pat Esser, a WCSO deputy inspector, said incidents such as this aren't common for the department. The last officer-involved shooting, to his recollection, was at least three or four years ago.

Contact reporter Jim Riccioli atjames.riccioli@jrn.com.