A 34-year-old Milwaukee police officer was shot at 27th and Wisconsin today by a rifle-toting shooter who was initially randomly firing the weapon in the street, according to multiple sources and the MPD. The officer is alive and seriously wounded, but his condition is not currently clear.
WRN exclusively obtained these photos of the suspect, who is dead.
The MPD has not formally named the suspect, but multiple sources say MPD believes the gunman was Isaiah Walker Stott.
Two sources said the officer may have broadcast over the police radio after being shot, telling his family that he loves them.
A photo of a man holding a rifle in the air was also posted to social media by Lockhart TV Media Group.
https://t.co/Yq1ChxLFHe pic.twitter.com/VrIdGXT1Yr
— Wisconsin Right Now (@wisconsin_now) February 12, 2025
In a press release, Milwaukee police said that, on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at approximately 11:50 a.m., Milwaukee Police Department officers “were dispatched to the 700 block of North 27th Street for a subject walking down the street firing shots from a large gun.”
“Upon arrival, the officers encountered the armed suspect and gave him orders to drop the gun. The suspect refused and fired shots at the officers. An officer returned gunfire subsequently striking the suspect. A different officer was struck by the suspect’s gunfire during the exchange. The suspect’s semi-auto rifle was recovered,” the release says.
“The suspect, an unidentified male, sustained fatal gunshot injuries. Our injured officer is a 34-year-old male with over 8 years of service. He was transported to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries,” the post says.
“The officer that discharged his firearm at the suspect is a 37-year-old male with over 8 years of service. The officer will be placed on administrative duty as is routine in officer involved shootings. The Milwaukee Area Investigative Team will be investigating this incident. The Oak Creek Police Department is the lead agency,” it notes.
“This is a fluid and ongoing investigation. Video related to this incident will be released in accordance with Standard Operating Procedure 575. The Milwaukee Police Department sends our thoughts and prayers to our officer and wish him a speedy recovery.”
A source says the wounded officer gave a “thumb’s up” so people are hopeful for his recovery. We have the officer’s name from multiple sources, but we will withhold it until the department formally releases it.
“There were multiple individuals out on the streets, cars on the streets, that could have been harmed by this particular individual,” Chief Jeffrey Norman said in a news conference. “This is unacceptable.”
A post on the X page of Milwaukee’s Mayor, Cavalier Johnson, read, “My thoughts are with the @MilwaukeePolice officer shot in the line of duty today. The entire incident, including the death of the suspect, is a tragedy.”
That post has since been deleted. The mayor’s spokesman, Jeff Fleming, wrote Wisconsin Right Now: “The original social media post was put up by a staff member. When the Mayor saw it, he immediately insisted it be taken down. His sentiments are accurately expressed in the video that was posted.”
We asked for the name of the staff member and whether any action will be taken. Fleming responded, “It will be discussed further tomorrow, and an appropriate reprimand is forthcoming.”
The fact the mayor’s page said the death of the suspect was a tragedy is upsetting many Milwaukee police officers today. The comment was posted as officers are anxiously awaiting news of the shot officer’s condition.
“Cavalier Johnson has just proven once again how little he cares and supports Milwaukee police officers,” said one apoplectic Milwaukee police officer. “He’s known that we’ve been out of a contract for 2 years getting underpaid and severely understaffed and he has the audacity to make a comment like that. I never thought about wanting to leave MPD until today.”
We would note that Milwaukee police officers have gone without a pay raise for two years, despite the dangers of the job, and make less than suburban departments, amid short-staffing and a recruitment crisis. They have exceptionally tough assignments; the toughest in the state.
Multiple sources earlier told Wisconsin Right Now the following. Be aware that it’s a fluid situation and preliminary information can change.
- The officer is alive but is in surgery. He was shot twice, in the leg and chest. One source said one wound was to the calf. “He took two rounds,” a source said.
- The suspect was shot and is dead.
- The suspect had an assault rifle. Several sources said it was an AK-47 but one said it was unclear whether it was an AK-47 or an AR-15. A source described wounds to lower extremities from assault rifles, in general, as “devastating.”
- The suspect’s identity is not yet clear because he didn’t have an ID. The officer had responded to a call of a man with a gun. The suspect was randomly firing the assault rifle in the street, sources said.
A state worker tells us that a building that was struck by a bullet is affiliated with the state Department of Children and Families (otherwise known as N. 26th St. State Office Building). One of the photos published by LockhartTV Media shows a bullet hole through a window, and the worker says a co-worker took that picture.
According to the worker, “The window it went through was at the desk of a girl who was home with her kid today. She is there every day normally.” The worker, who wanted to stay anonymous so as not to get in trouble, added that a worker was “standing right there and dropped to the ground to hide under her desk.”
There’s a police evidence building nearby too.
State website confirms that there is a building at this location: Department of Children & Families, MCPS office 635 N. 26th Street (26th St. and Wisconsin Ave.)
Former Attorney General Brad Schimel, who is running for state Supreme Court, wrote in a statement, “Prayers to the MPD Officer, his family, and the entire Milwaukee Police Department. This is a painful reminder of the dangers our men & women in law enforcement face every single day. Pray for our police.”
This story will be updated as more information is released. MPD has not yet formally released details. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity.
