By Shereen Siewert
The Outagamie County District Attorney has determined that police acted appropriately after shooting the suspect in a downtown Appleton shooting that left a firefighter dead and a police officer wounded.
Ruben Houston, 47, died at a local hospital following an exchange of gunfire with police on May 15. Appleton firefighter Mitchell F. Lundgaard, 36, died in the shooting.
Initially, first responders were called for a report of a man arriving on a bus from out of town who appeared to be having a seizure. After arriving they assisted Houston, who then left the bus and began walking toward a nearby library. At some point, police said, Houston displayed a handgun and shots were exchanged.
Two Appleton Police officers, Paul Christensen and Sgt. Christopher Biese, exchanged gunfire with Houston, police said. Christensen has been identified as the officer shot in the incident. He was treated at a local hospital and was released the following day.
A female bystander, 30-year-old Brittany Schowalter, was struck by gunfire and was transported to a local hospital.
In a written statement, Police Chief Todd Thomas pointed to body cam video that helped conclude the investigation so quickly.
“Our body camera program protects our officers from false accusations, helps us gather critical evidence, and strengths the trust the community has in us,” Thomas wrote. “And for this incident, it shows the public just how a seemingly insignificant, non-emergency call for a police officer, can quickly turn deadly. This is why our officers have to always remain vigilant, and why there is no such thing as a routine call.”
Court records show Houston was released May 4 after posting $500 bond in a Fond du Lac Circuit Court case in which he was facing felony charges of possession of counterfeit narcotics with intent to deliver. It is not clear why Houston, who lived on Thomas Street in Wausau, was in Appleton at the time of the shooting. Toxicology tests on Houston are pending.
The shooting was investigated by the Green Bay Police Department. State law requires that that officer-involved shootings must be investigated by an outside agency.
