WAUWATOSA, Wis. — A 37-year-old man is in critical condition in the hospital after being tased by a Wauwatosa Police Officer.
The Wauwatosa Police Department said the incident happened after a fight broke out during a remembrance event at a cemetery in Wauwatosa on Wednesday.
The Wauwatosa Fire Department responded to Pinelawn Memorial Park at about 8:38 p.m. on 5/22/24 and observed a physical fight between two people.
When police arrived, officers attempted to separate the two individuals. One of the individuals became argumentative and refused to comply with police orders in the process.
When an officer tried to lead the individual away from the scene to de-escalate the situation, he resisted and tried to punch the officer with a closed fist. A second officer then used a Taser on the man.
Police said once officers were able to gain control of the man, they safely arrested him. Afterward, the man appeared to be in “medical distress.”
Paramedics with Wauwatosa Fire Department were still at the cemetery and recognized the man was not breathing and had no pulse. They performed life-saving measures and then transported the man to the hospital.
“I am proud of the professionalism displayed by these officers in a truly chaotic situation,” said Wauwatosa Police Chief James MacGillis in the statement. “My thoughts are with the individual, their family, our police officers, and our community impacted by this tragic outcome.”
Three officers have been placed on administrative leave while The Milwaukee Area Investigative Team and the Waukesha Police Department investigate. The officers placed on leave include a 22-year-old male with 1 year of experience, a 35-year-old male with over 9 years of experience and 30-year-old male with 6 years of experience.
