WAUKESHA — The Meijer on East Sunset Drive in Waukesha reopened Friday morning following a hostage situation Thursday, according to a spokesperson for Meijer.
The Waukesha Police Department was dispatched to the store on Thursday evening after the City of Waukesha Emergency Communications Center received a call from an adult male saying that he was armed with a knife and had taken a hostage.
The suspect also demanded to speak with a hostage negotiator.
According to the Waukesha Police Department, officers immediately responded to the scene while a trained crisis negotiator initially established telephone contact with the suspect.
WATCH: Large police presence at Waukesha Meijer following officer-involved shooting
Upon arrival, officers were directed to the suspect's location within the store. Upon making contact, officers saw the suspect armed with a knife and in close proximity to a 59-year-old male victim.
After officers issued multiple commands for the suspect to drop the knife, as well as based on the suspect's actions and immediate threat, an officer discharged their firearm.
Immediately after, officers transitioned to provide emergency medical care to the suspect, including applying a tourniquet. The suspect was then taken by ambulance to a local hospital and is in critical condition.
The victim also sustained injuries. He was treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital for further treatment.
The knife was recovered from the scene.
The officer who discharged their weapon was a 26-year-old with five years of law enforcement experience, and in accordance with department policy, was placed on administrative leave.
According to shopper, Susan Phipps, who spoke with TMJ4's Meryl Hubbard, the suspect had white face paint on.
WATCH: Witness speaks with TMJ4's Meryl Hubbard to talk about what they heard and saw inside the store
"I definitely did see the white face paint, but I don't know why. He did have a knife. And he had quite a bit of blood I saw on his arms. But I couldn't see much else," said Phipps.
Phipps said she heard screaming and gunshots during a regular shopping day.
"I feel real shaky. Several people were. We were all un-glued," said Phipps.
Briana Islami was outside the store waiting for her fiancé, who had gone inside to pick up food for a surprise dinner. Islami said she had been on the phone with her fiancé and was relieved to hear he was safe.
"It's nice to know that he is okay but it's definitely a very scary moment and I feel like helpless like I can't help him," said Islami.
She said her fiancé had gone to the store with a specific purpose before the incident unfolded.
"He just wanted to make a romantic dinner, so that's probably like the saddest part like he went out of his way to do all this," said Islami.
The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department told TMJ4 that they had assisted with traffic control, but had no additional involvement.
The Greenfield Police Department is the investigating agency of the officer-involved shooting.
A spokesperson for Meijer Media Hotline sent the following statement on Friday morning:
“We appreciate the quick response from local law enforcement to yesterday’s unfortunate situation at our E. Sunset Drive store. We have reopened this morning so that we can continue serving the community. As a reminder, out of respect for our customers and team members we do not allow filming in our store or parking lots outside of the designated area in which store leadership has clearly communicated. We appreciate you respecting that policy. Please direct any additional questions to this email address as our store team will be focused on taking care of our customers.”
