Deputy Kaitie Leising death: 'We need good cops, but we're killing the good cops'

St. Croix Sheriff grieves death of deputy

For the first time since the killing of St. Croix County Deputy Kaitie Leising several of her fellow law enforcement officials, including St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson, are speaking up about the tragedy and the dangers of the profession.

HUDSON, Wis. (FOX 9) - Speaking for the first time on Tuesday, St. Croix Sheriff Scott Knudson talked about the grief and pain that has followed the killing of Deputy Kaitie Leising.

Leising was shot in the line of duty Saturday night as she investigated a DWI crash.

Tuesday, the sheriff said that his department and the community are struggling. The sheriff is heartbroken but also angry that there has been another member of law enforcement killed in the line of duty.

Deputy Leising had only been with the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office for about a year but it's clear she had a big impact.

Deputy Kaitie Leising: Authorities hold press conference

Authorities held a press conference Tuesday on slain Deputy Kaitie Leising, who was shot and killed by a suspected drunk driver Saturday night in Glenwood City, Wisconsin. Leising spent the last year of her life in St. Croix County, but her law enforcement career began with a two-year stint in South Dakota.

"Everybody says if you have a bad day talk to Kaitie," said Sheriff Knudson. "Because your bad day is gone. You can’t stay salty when you talk to Kaitie and that was the absolute truth. She just had that spirit."

The St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office is remembering Deputy Kaitie Leising while dealing with so much anger over what never should have happened on a rainy Saturday night. "For reasons we'll probably never know, this morally bankrupt and ethically-challenged criminal decides to turn and murder Kaitie," the sheriff said.

Kaitie Leising is the fourth Wisconsin officer killed this year. A Minnesota deputy was also killed in the line of duty on April 15 while responding to a domestic dispute call.

"We need good cops, but we’re killing the good cops, and it’s frustrating," added Sheriff Knudson.

RELATED: Kaitie Leising is 4th Wisconsin law enforcement death of 2023

In addition to the man who pulled the trigger, the sheriff points the finger at a few politicians and select members of the media as part of the problem. "For those that continue to beat us down, sometimes this is the end result. And it makes our communities that much more unsafe and we are tired. My whole profession is tired."

Since Saturday, the sheriff’s 30 patrol deputies have been off duty, with outside agencies covering the shifts. They’re getting help from counselors, but they are also leaning hard on one another.

Slain St. Croix deputy remembered

Authorities in Wisconsin say a man with a lengthy criminal history is the person who killed Deputy Kaitie Leising of the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office. FOX 9’s Rose Schmidt has the latest developments.

"I am proud to be part of this profession," the sheriff said. "I’m proud of the men and women that have allowed me to work with them, and we will return."

Kaitie's family has asked for privacy, but the sheriff said Tuesday she leaves behind a wife and a three-month-old baby boy.