In the quiet community of Glenwood City, Wisconsin, a routine call on the evening of May 6, 2023, turned into a tragedy that would claim the life of St. Croix County Sheriff's Deputy Kaitie Leising, a 29-year-old White/Caucasian female. Leising was dispatched to investigate a report of a possible drunk driver whose vehicle was in a ditch. Upon her arrival, she engaged in an approximately eight-minute conversation with the driver, attempting to conduct field sobriety tests.
The interaction took a fatal turn when the driver, identified as 34-year-old Jeremiah Johnson, suddenly became evasive, drew a handgun, and fired at Deputy Leising. Mortally wounded, she managed to return fire, discharging her weapon three times, though none of the rounds struck Johnson. The entire incident was captured on her body camera. Johnson then fled into a nearby wooded area.
Occupants of another vehicle who had stopped to assist Johnson before Leising's arrival immediately began administering first aid to the fallen deputy. She was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead. A search for Johnson ensued, and about an hour later, an officer heard a gunshot from the woods. Johnson was found deceased, having taken his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A handgun was recovered at the scene.
No arrests were made in connection with Deputy Leising's death, as the sole suspect, Jeremiah Johnson, died by suicide. Johnson had a prior criminal record and was on supervised release at the time of the incident. Deputy Leising had served with the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office for about a year, having previously been with the Pennington County Sheriff's Office in South Dakota for two years. She left behind a wife and a three-month-old son.
