Holly MatkinVillage of Cameron, WI – The Wisconsin Department of Justice (WDOJ) has released bodycam footage from the day Village of Cameron Police Officer Hunter Scheel and Chetek Police Officer Emily Breidenbach were murdered by a suspect armed with an AR-15 in April (video below).
Barron County District Attorney Brian Wright said in a nine-page report late last month that the deadly attack occurred within just 45 seconds, the Leader-Telegram reported.
One day before the shooting, 50-year-old Glenn Douglas Perry’s father spoke with a captain at the Barron County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) and warned him that Perry’s mental health was rapidly declining amid his contentious divorce, WEAU reported.
Perry, who had a warrant out for his arrest for failing to show up to a court hearing regarding failure to pay child support on March 30, was also prohibited from possessing firearms due to having been hospitalized for mental health issues on two occasions in the past, according to the Leader-Telegram.
His father told the BCSO deputy Perry always carried a handgun with him, despite the prohibition.
Wright said in his report the captain “sent an alert that same day cautioning law enforcement of Perry’s declining mental status,” the Leader-Telegram reported.
Officer Breidenbach, 32, was aware of the alert when she pulled Perry over on Highway SS near the Village of Cameron at approximately 3:30 p.m. on April 8.
She immediately called for backup.
When 23-year-old Officer Scheel arrived at the scene, Officer Breidenbach approached the suspect’s SUV, WEAU reported.
“Perry opened the driver’s side door of his vehicle armed with an AR-15 rifle, aimed it at Officer Breidenbach and immediately opened fire,” Wright wrote, according to the Leader-Telegram.
Officer Breidenbach was able to fire two rounds at her attacker before she was fatally shot.
“Shots fired! Shots fired!” Officer Scheel yelled over the radio as Perry gunned Officer Breidenbach down, bodycam footage showed. “Officer down! Officer down! Officer down!”
He took cover next to a patrol vehicle and exchanged gunfire with the suspect, but the situation quickly grew even more dire.
“Officer Scheel was shot multiple times and fell to the ground approximately 15 feet away from the passenger side of his patrol vehicle,” Wright wrote, according to the Leader-Telegram. “Perry walked up to Officer Scheel, who was no longer able to defend himself, and shot him twice at close range, killing Officer Scheel.”
Wright said Perry was shot in the leg during the gun battle, damaging his femoral artery, WEAU reported.
He ultimately bled out and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Wright and the WDOJ both independently concluded the officers’ use of deadly force was justified and that they acted in self-defense, WEAU reported.
“There are no mitigating factors to Perry’s actions,” the district attorney wrote. “Perry made the conscious, deliberate and permitted decision to murder two police officers. Perry remained heavily armed, and was intent on killing any law enforcement officer who attempted to take him into custody.
“The deaths of Officer Breidenbach and Officer Scheel are a stark reminder of how police officers put their lives on the line each and every day to protect us,” Wright added, according to WEAU. “The sworn duty of police to serve and protect should be revered whenever we remember the bravery, courage and sacrifice of Officer Breidenbach and Officer Scheel.”
Officer Scheel joined the VCPD approximately one year before his murder, according to Wisconsin Right Now.
He had just graduated from the law enforcement academy in December of 2022.
Officer Scheel also served in the Army National Guard and volunteered to serve in Afghanistan.
He is survived by his mother, father, stepfather, three sisters, and his girlfriend, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
Officer Breidenbach served the Chetek Police Department (CPD) for more than four years, according to her LinkedIn page.
She previously worked as an officer for the Stoughton Police Department.
Officer Breidenbach leaves behind her fiancé and his four children, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
She is also survived by her father, a former Chetek police chief, as well as her mother and brother.
Watch the incident unfold in the video below. Warning – Graphic Content:
