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Deputies involved in bank robbery suspect shooting named

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Rusk County (Press Release) - Rusk County Sheriff David Kaminski has released the names of the law enforcement officers who were involved in the fatal shooting of a bank robbery suspect in Rusk County last Friday afternoon. 

According to Sheriff Kaminski, Rusk County Deputy Jeff Wallace, Rusk County Deputy Riley Kummet and Wisconsin DNR Conservation Warden Jeremy Peery were involved in an exchange of gunfire after squads forced the suspect vehicle off the roadway just a mile west of Bruce on Hwy 8.

Sheriff Kaminski advised that the two deputies and the conservation warden will remain on paid administrative leave, per their departments' policies, until the investigation into the shooting is complete. 

Sheriff Kaminski requested an independent agency conduct an impartial review of the officer involved shooting incident as that is the standard practice. Sheriff's officials requested the assistance of the Barron County Sheriffs Office and the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation to investigate the shooting while the Wisconsin State Patrol handled the documentation of the crash scene.

Sheriff Kaminski said "that although it might take several weeks for the investigating agencies to complete their final reports, the preliminary information I have reviewed makes it clear that my deputies and Warden Peery acted in an exemplary and courageous manner by placing themselves in harms way to protect the public and apprehend a felony suspect."

"The initial information shows that the suspect fired on officers several times and the officers had no choice but to take the action they did," Kaminski said. 

Kaminski said that it is very unfortunate anytime a life was taken, but stressed that this suspect had ample opportunity to stop and give himself up. Instead, the man chose to lead officers on a high speed pursuit at speeds reported in excess of 100 MPH.  As the suspect vehicle neared the village of Bruce, officers forced vehicle to the side of the road in the interest of overall public safety. 

Deputy Wallace is a 13 year law enforcement veteran, and has been with the Rusk County Sheriff's Office for 8 years.  Deputy Kummet has worked in law enforcement for 5 years, and for the Rusk County Sheriff's Office for 3 years.   Warden Peery has worked in law enforcement for 13 years, the last 11 as a DNR Conservation Warden.

The Rusk County investigation also coincides with the investigation to Friday's robbery of the Dairyland State Bank in Exeland that is being conducted by the Sawyer County Sheriffs Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.