Milwaukee Cop Wounded Thursday Will Live After Shooting, Police Said

MILWAUKEE, WI — A 26-year-old Milwaukee police officer and a 22-year-old Milwaukee man are expected to live after both being wounded in a shootout Thursday night in Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley, the Milwaukee Police Department announced.

The officer was dispatched to check on a sick or injured person around 6:27 p.m. when he found the 22-year-old slumped in a car on the 2100 block of W. St. Paul Avenue, police said in a statement.

The man got out of his car and tried to run before pulling a gun, leading to an exchange of gunfire, police said.

Both the police officer and man were struck by bullets, but police didn't give details about their injuries besides describing them as "non-fatal." The officer was taken to a local hospital, and the man took the officer's squad car and subsequently crashed before also being taken to a nearby hospital.

Another driver was injured in the crash and had to be treated for minor injuries, police said.

The officer has seven years of experience and will be placed on administrative duty, which is usual after a police officer shoots someone.

Former Milwaukee alderman and mayoral candidate Bob Donovan said that he and his wife were "praying for this hero’s survival and for their family."

See Also: Milwaukee Officer Shot Near 21st And St. Paul: Reports

There have been at least three shootings in which a law enforcement officer has been injured in January: One off-duty city police detective was shot in a robbery attempt Jan. 13, and a Milwaukee County deputy sheriff was shot multiple times chasing a suspect in southwest Milwaukee on Wednesday.

In Milwaukee, there have been 23 homicides since the start of 2022, according to Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office data. Of the homicide victims, 21 of them were people of color.