Column: Reaffirming respect and appreciation for the Thin Blue Line

By Dan Kontos

You’ve probably heard or read of the murder of two police officers in Barron County on April 8. Chetek Police Officer Emily Breidenbach, and Cameron Police Officer Hunter Scheel were killed in the line of duty conducting a traffic stop based on a reported warrant as well as to check on the welfare of the driver after a citizen report of concerning behavior.

All-in-all, a “routine” activity for law enforcement. That is until the 50-year-old suspect, who does not deserve to be named here, opened fire on the officers, and in the exchange, all three suffered fatal wounds.

Officer Breidenbach had served with the Chetek Police Department for over four years and previously served with the Stoughton Police Department. Officer Scheel was a U.S. Army National Guard veteran and served with the Cameron Police Department for just one year. 

But it’s not just them. Emily is survived by her parents, brother, her fiancé, and his four children. Her father was the Chief of Police for the Pardeeville Police Department. Hunter is survived by his mother, father, stepfather, and three sisters. They all grieve, as well as the citizens they protected.

Two public servants, sworn to enforce the law, and committed to safeguarding their communities, needlessly killed just trying to do their duties. They were the 26th and 27th law enforcement officers killed nationwide, and the second and third officers killed in Wisconsin in 2023. The first being Milwaukee Police Officer Peter E. C. Jerving, who was killed pursuing a robbery suspect in February. May their sacrifices never be forgotten.

Lest you think that these things only happen in other places, think again.

The day before the tragic events in Barron County, Stevens Point Police Officers had a nearly deadly encounter of their own. Just after 3 a.m., officers were called to Fifth Avenue in the City for a report of a suspicious person outside of a residence. Another “routine” call.

There, responding officers located an individual outside of a nearby home. According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s preliminary investigation, it appears that the suspect fired a handgun at the officers. In response to this, officers fired back, hitting the 40-year-old suspect. 

Of course, once the man was secured, the officers then performed emergency medical care until the individual could be transported to the hospital. A “routine” call indeed.

Surviving the encounter, the suspect is now languishing in the Portage County Jail on a $50,000 cash bond. The officers? Well, they are on administrative leave pending the outcome of the legally mandated investigation by DOJ, worrying about not only what happened, but what could have happened, as well as what might happen in our all too litigious society. Such is the nature of things, especially for a home town guardian.

It is with tremendous appreciation, love, and respect that I reflect on these unwitting heroes, who most certainly were not hoping for this encounter. Their willingness to risk their own safety to protect our community reflects highly upon their character, as well as the entire profession of law enforcement. While they were physically unharmed, it could have been a lot worse. The psychological harm is yet to be seen.

Guys, we are proud of you. Thank you, and hang in there.

As for the suspect? He’ll have his day in court. Presumed innocent until proven otherwise; that’s our system, and a good one it is.

However, this Chippewa County transplant to the Stevens Point area for the last 18 months or so (goodie for us) would have been better to avoid this whole unpleasant mess by applying a bit of science to his decision making first. Namely, he should have followed the theory of Fool Around and Find Out.

According to this theorem, there is a direct correlation between the amount you f-around, and the amount you will find out what will happen to you. Simply put, the more you f-around, the more you will find out. Fool-around at a level 10, you’re going to find out at a level 10. Follow the science.

By the way, at the risk of sounding like I’m sucking up, the Metro Wire not only was the singular news outlet to actually go to the scene of this shooting right after it happened, and then continued with regular updates to the story, which they still track. No, it wasn’t me. I was blissfully ignorant sleeping in my bed, thanks to the sense of security that law enforcement gives me to live my life.

The Stevens Point News, nothing. The Stevens Point Journal, only a regurgitation of the DOJ press release, as was true for WAOW (channel 9). WSAU (99.9 FM) and WSAW (channel 7) did both an on-air and online piece later that day. If you are looking for local news, I think you know where to go.  Just sayin’. I would think that this is a more important story than the attention it was given.

So, with that, let’s meet in the opinion section to talk about all of it, boldly, honestly, with a healthy respect for each other, and with appreciation for the men and women who stand in that Thin Blue Line.

Until then, God bless.