The four law enforcement officers involved in a fatal shooting in Kewaunee County on August 21 have been identified by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, including the one accused of shooting and killing the suspect.
Three Kewaunee County Sheriff's deputies and one Kewaunee Police officer were involved:
- Deputy Jamie A Tlachac, Kewaunee Co. Sheriff's Department (5 years of service)
- Sergeant Dustin E. Smidle, Kewaunee Co. Sheriff's Department (22 years of service)
- Deputy Jordan D. Salentine, Kewaunee Co. Sheriff's Department (3 years of service)
- Officer Brian D. Gale, Kewaunee Police Department (4 years of service)
Deputy Jamie Tlachac's "use of force" resulted in the death of 22-year-old Tyler Whitmire, the Wisconsin Department of Justice said.
The four officers responded to a 911 call on August 21 along County Road AB, south of State Highway 29, and found a man threatening a woman and nearby people with a knife, according to the DOJ.
That man was later identified as Whitmire.
Whitmire was a Marine who had just gotten married this spring, according to Ann Lucas, his mother-in-law. She said he was a loving husband who was not violent and not a drug user.
"I think deadly force was used way before it was needed," she said. "I think there was other alternative measures that could have been done. I'm wondering, was the officer armed with a taser? I'm anxious for the dash cam to come out."
The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is continuing to collect evidence and investigate this incident.
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