OSHKOSH — An Oshkosh police officer shot a suspect who was driving a vehicle toward law enforcement, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, which is investigating the incident.
The scene was in a parking lot along Main Street at around 1:30 Friday morning, according to Captain Becky Kaiser of the Oshkosh Police Department.
“[The officers] were following up on a threats complaint," she stated at a press conference Friday morning. "They made contact with a suspect outside...that suspect posed a threat to the officers, drove a vehicle toward the officers and that officer discharged a weapon.”
Police announced the suspect was taken to Thedacare for treatment, but did not provide information on the individual's condition or identity. Police said the officer involved was not injured and this incident poses no further threat to the public.
Law enforcement closed a large section of Main Street during their investigation of the incident, preventing people who had parked on the street from returning to their cars until roughly 8:00 am.
Directly across the street from the parking lot, Tara Rudy photography studio owner Tara Rudy described the incident as "very disturbing, very scary."
Rudy, who previously worked in law enforcement, says she wasn't at the scene last night, but has witnessed more shootings than she'd like to see.
"It's definitely frightening," she said.
"There's a lot of activity that happens around this area that is not ideal…it's rising unfortunately," she continued.
Rudy said she doesn't feel unsafe after the incident—thanks in large part to her law-enforcement training—but is still considering adding additional cameras to her studio.
She said it's sad to see a shooting like this in her neighborhood.
"It's a tragedy that it happened…" said Rudy.
"Anything is too much."
Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to call the Oshkosh Police Department at 920-236-5700.
