By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review
Friends and family members of one of two officers fatally shot Saturday during a Barron County traffic stop as Emily Breidenbach, who served the Chetek Police Department.
Twin cities TV station KSTP released the name as part of a statement from the officer’s brother, Mike Breidenbach. KSTP reports the fallen officer’s father was once the chief of the department. Her name is one of five listed on the department’s personnel page, while her LinkedIn page states she served in that capacity for more than four years. She previously worked as an officer in Stoughton.
A second officer fatally shot was from the Cameron Police Department. That name has not been publicly released as of early Monday.
According to information released to date, Breidenbach made the traffic stop around 3:30 p.m. Saturday on Hwy. 8 at County Hwy. SS. It’s unclear when the Cameron police officer arrived, but gunfire was exchanged at some point during the traffic stop.
Medics were called at about 3:40 p.m. Saturday to the area. A medical helicopter was paged to the scene shortly thereafter with a landing zone set up nearby.
Officials with the Wisconsin Dept. of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, the agency leading the investigation, said the officers were shot in an exchange of gunfire with a suspect during a traffic stop. The suspect, whose name has not yet been released, died after being transported to a hospital, officials said.
KSTP reports a squad car outside the Chetek Police Department was draped in black and covered in flowers Sunday, a memorial for Officer Breidenbach. An investigation continues.
