Dodge County Deputy Shot in Elba Dog Park Standoff; Suspect Dead, Sheriff Pushes for More Body Armor

COLUMBUS, Wisconsin — A Dodge County deputy is recovering after being shot during a violent disturbance at a local dog park, an incident that ended with the suspect dead and the sheriff advocating for increased body armor funding.

Law enforcement officials report that deputies from the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, alongside Columbus Police, responded to River Run Dog Park near Columbus at approximately 7 p.m. They were initially called to the scene to handle a report of an intoxicated man who was causing a disturbance and threatening individuals in the area.

According to investigators, the situation escalated when the 50-year-old suspect opened fire on the responding officers and deputies. During the exchange, one deputy was struck in the thigh and torso, though the officer’s protective gear ultimately prevented fatal injuries. Authorities later discovered the suspect dead inside his vehicle from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officials confirmed that no law enforcement officers fired their weapons during the incident. The wounded deputy was subsequently treated at a local hospital, released, and is now back home recovering.

Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt expressed profound relief regarding the outcome, noting the severe stakes of the evening’s events. Reflecting on the incident, Schmidt shared that he came incredibly close to tragedy and had feared he would be planning a funeral rather than walking out of the hospital with the surviving deputy.

In the wake of the shooting, Sheriff Schmidt is urgently pushing to secure funding for 20 additional sets of ballistic vests and plates to ensure all his deputies are properly equipped. With each set costing approximately $560, the total investment would be around $11,000. Schmidt emphasized the critical value of the equipment, stating that he views the $11,000 as the cost of a deputy’s life, and highlighted that a single $560 vest is what saved his deputy’s life during the standoff.