Tosa Chief: Officer Was Ambushed
WAUWATOSA - Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber says his officer was ambushed, "she was in the process of defending herself, but she came across this very violently and very suddenly." The Chief talked Monday afternoon about a shooting that left his 28-year-old officer in the hospital today with a gunshot wound to the stomach.
The officer was responding to an apartment complex near 124th and North after reports of an armed robbery at a restaurant nearby.
"The world is really changing. It's really changing," said someone who lived next door to the place where the shooting happened, near 124th and North when the officer was responding to a robbery just after 10:30 p.m. at the Happy Wok restaurant.
Chief Weber says when the officer got to the scene, "multiple shots were fired and that's when she was struck in the abdomen. She was able to notify other officers of her location and the situation. She was also able to give of the direction of travel of where the assailants had left."
Police say one suspect, a 28-year-old Asian man from Milwaukee, is in custody. Police have also recovered the gun that was used to shoot the officer.
Chief Weber believes additional people were involved in the shooting. "It could be a couple more," Weber said.
The officer who was shot has three years on the force. She was apparently recently married. She is recovering in the hospital after surgery.
The suspect or suspects allegedly opened fire on the officer before she even got out of her vehicle. The officer was shot in the abdomen. The bullet passed through a gap in her protective vest. Chief Weber says after being shot, she proceeded to radio for help and continue to provide information about where the suspects headed.
The wounded officer underwent surgery at Froedtert Hospital, and had her surgery finished at about 2:00 a.m. She was conscious going into surgery and is expected to be released in a few days.
Authorities haven't yet release the officer's name.
A reward of $1,000 has been established by Crime Stoppers for any information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for the shooting.
Call Crime Stoppers at 414-771-8672.
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