In the winter of 1995, the community of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, was struck by tragedy with the death of 38-year-old Michael R. Baribeau, a White male and a dedicated patrolman with the local police department. Baribeau, who had served on the force for 14 years, was also a member of the Barron County Emergency Response Team. On December 19, his life was cut short when he responded to a volatile domestic disturbance call in Rusk County.
The incident unfolded after a man named Thomas Shipley
had reportedly fired gunshots at his wife and children the previous night. As a member of the volunteer SWAT team, Baribeau was called to the scene to assist in apprehending the suspect. He and another officer, Barron County Sheriff's Deputy Dave Strohmeyer, approached Shipley's residence. As they neared the front door, Shipley opened it and fired upon the two officers with a 12-gauge shotgun in what was described as an unprovoked attack.
The sudden eruption of violence left both officers with severe injuries. Despite being wounded, they were able to return fire, fatally shooting Shipley at the scene. Tragically, Patrolman Baribeau succumbed to his injuries. His partner, Deputy Strohmeyer, was seriously wounded but survived the encounter. Baribeau, who had joined the Rice Lake Police Department in 1981, was a married father of two children, a son and a daughter. Because the sole suspect in the shooting was killed during the exchange of gunfire, no arrests were made in connection with Michael Baribeau's death.
