Dennis Grohn, a 32-year-old Caucasian male, died on February 12, 2014, in a confrontation with law enforcement at his home in Red Cedar, Wisconsin. His death occurred during the execution of a "no-knock" search warrant in the early morning hours, an operation that involved the Dunn County Sheriff's Office, the West Central Drug Task Force, and the Eau Claire County Regional Tactical Team. The raid was the culmination of a drug investigation during which Grohn had sold methamphetamine to an undercover agent just hours prior.
The tactical team had been advised that the entry was high-risk, citing Grohn's history of violence towards police and the suspicion that he was in possession of a shotgun and likely under the influence of methamphetamine. Upon a member of the SWAT team entering the garage, he encountered Grohn seated in a chair. According to the officer's account, Grohn made a growling sound before charging at him. The initial impact led to the officer firing a single shot. A second officer, entering the scene to find the two men struggling on the floor and observing Grohn's hand on the first officer's rifle, also fired his weapon once. Grohn was subsequently pronounced dead at the Mayo Health Clinic.
An investigation into the shooting was conducted by the state's Department of Criminal Investigation. The Dunn County District Attorney later determined that the use of deadly force by the two officers was justified, and therefore no charges were filed against them. An autopsy confirmed that Grohn had a significant amount of methamphetamine in his system at the time of his death, with levels described as being near the toxic range. While law enforcement was seeking evidence of drug sales, methamphetamine, and weapons, there have been no public reports of any other individuals being arrested at the scene or charged in connection with the investigation that led to the raid on Grohn's home.
