In the small community of Crandon, Wisconsin, a neighborhood dispute over a dog on a summer evening escalated into a tragedy that claimed the life of a dedicated police officer. Sergeant Todd Jeffrey Stamper, a 38-year-old White male, was fatally shot on July 15, 2000, while responding to the escalating conflict. Before law enforcement arrived, the argument had already turned deadly, with the suspect shooting and killing one of his neighbors.
Upon arriving at the scene, Sergeant Stamper and other officers were met with gunfire from the suspect. In the ensuing exchange, Sergeant Stamper, a 13-year veteran of the Crandon Police Department and a U.S. Air Force veteran, was mortally wounded. The gunman was shot twice before being taken into custody.
The suspect was subsequently convicted on two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of his neighbor and Sergeant Stamper. He was sentenced to life in prison. For the death of Sergeant Stamper specifically, he received a 40-year sentence for reckless homicide. Sergeant Stamper is survived by his daughters.
