OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — At approximately 6 a.m., the Oshkosh Police Department responded to reports of an intoxicated male seen carrying a loaded rifle near the Mill Street boat launch. Officers arrived at the scene and tried to deescalate the situation, urging the individual to put down his weapon.
According to Kate Mann, the Oshkosh Public Affairs Crime Prevention Officer, their efforts proved unsuccessful.
“Officers tried talking to the male, he would not drop the rifle. He ended up using less lethal ammunition, the male would not drop the rifle. The attempts to deescalate were not successful,” said Mann.
The officer's attempts at deescalation were met with resistance.
“At one point he aimed the rifle at officers, at this point one officer from the Oshkosh Police Department fired one round from his duty rifle that ended up striking the male suspect,” said Mann.
The injured male was immediately transported to a local hospital, where he is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
In the incident's aftermath, law enforcement authorities kept a heavy presence at the scene, resulting in blocked roads in the area throughout the morning.
We talked to a fisher who was there, but he requested anonymity. The fisherman initially mistook the rifle for a fishing pole but quickly realized the severity of the situation as the police arrived and he was taken around a corner to safety.
Kate Mann emphasized the Oshkosh Police Department's commitment to public safety and their prioritization of de-escalation tactics.
"We always try to keep everyone safe; that is our number one priority, and that is also why we always try to de-escalate the situation and bring them to a peaceful resolution," said Mann.
The Wisconsin law enforcement community voluntarily reports use-of-force data to the FBI. From January to March of this year, out of 508 reporting agencies in the state, zero occurrences were reported by 490 agencies, with only three agencies indicating at least one incident.
Authorities believe this incident to be an isolated occurrence and the investigation into the incident has been handed over to the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office.
