DATE: March 22, 2016
SUBJECT: Assist Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office (16-10402)
AUTHORITY: Captain Martin Schulteis
On Monday, March 21st, 2016 at 9:35 pm the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office to request assistance with an officer involved death investigation pursuant to §175.47. That statute requires the primary ensuing investigation of an individual’s death as a result of an action or inaction by law enforcement must be completed by an investigative team from an independent agency.
The preliminary investigation reveals that during the early evening hours on Monday, March 21 2016, the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office was investigating a report of a suicidal subject.
The subject, an 18-year-old Campbellsport man, had been posting suicidal statements on social media and texting acquaintances several hours prior to the incident.
At approximately 9:11 pm on March 21, 2016, Fond du Lac Deputies located the man driving on Town Hall Rd in the Town of Auburn and attempted to stop him to check his welfare.
The man continued driving at low speeds for about ½ mile with two deputies following in separate squad cars. At the intersection of CTH SSS and N. River Rd. the man turned his vehicle around and drove toward the deputies at a low to moderate speed.
At this point the squads partially blocked the road and the man’s vehicle and one of the squad cars collided. The man’s vehicle continued off road and struck a tree. At that point, it appears the man shot himself with a handgun. Deputies did not fire their weapons. Deputies extricated the man from the car and provided life-saving measures until relieved by a rescue squad. The man later died at a regional trauma center.
The Fond du Lac County Deputies involved are ages 50 and 30 and have 27 and 4 years of law enforcement experience respectively.
Washington County detectives and accident reconstruction personnel were on the scene and are investigating the incident. Squad video has captured some of the incident. The incident remains under investigation by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and no further details can be released at this time. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office anticipates forwarding the complete investigation to the Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office for review upon completion.