More than 1,000 law enforcement officers from across Wisconsin and other Midwestern states gathered Friday in Hudson to pay tribute to a St. Croix County Sheriff’s Deputy who was killed Saturday.
The stream of police and sheriff’s vehicles pouring into the Hudson High School parking lot seemed never-ending leading up to the 12:30 p.m. funeral for fallen officer Kaitie Leising.
The 29-year-old deputy was shot and killed Saturday while investigating a suspected impaired driver in who had gone off the road. The suspect, 34-year-old Jeremiah Daniel Johnson of Minnesota, later fatally shot himself.
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Leising leaves behind a wife and 3-month-old son.
The high school gymnasium was full of officers, family and community members facing Leising’s coffin, which was draped with an American flag and accompanied by wreaths and flowers. Leising’s colleagues took turns reading letters written by her parents, sister and wife. Sgt. Aaron Boldt of the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Department read a letter from Leising’s father, Roger.
“She always wanted to be in law enforcement,” he wrote. “She pursued that profession with the same zest she had for life. Her career moves were tough on mom and I, only soothed by the realization that she was doing what she loved to do with the person she loved.”
The letter ended by saying Leising left this earth “entirely too soon.”
“God needed a hero more than I did,” the letter said. “It’s not goodbye I’m saying to you, it’s see you later. With love to my hero, Dad. P.S. The secret chili ingredient was brown sugar, not cinnamon.”
St. Croix County Deputy Jeff Mangine worked closely with Leising and talked about how she excelled at calming suspects in tense situations. He read a letter written by Leising’s wife, Courtney Leising.
“I am completely heartbroken that he will grow up without Katie by his side, but thankful he’ll have the greatest guardian angel looking over him,” Courtney Leising wrote of their son. “We built an amazing bond over eight years together. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”
Mangine also spoke directly to his brothers and sisters in uniform who may be questioning their futures in law enforcement. Leising’s death marked the fourth officer killed this year in Wisconsin.
“Now is not the time to question the why or be indecisive,” Mangine said. “Now more than ever, our communities need good cops and protectors, and warriors to go out to the trenches every day to hold that line between good and evil.”
After the funeral, an honor guard made up of more than 100 officers stood at attention while Leising’s family and colleagues followed behind as officers wheeled her coffin to a nearby hearse. Three cracks from a 21-gun salute echoed through the high school grounds. After two trumpeters played “Taps,” the roar of two helicopters got louder as they passed overhead, and then faded away.
When officers and the public were dismissed, a procession of hundreds of police and sheriff’s vehicles pulled away from the high school in single file as they headed to the cemetery where Leising would be laid to rest.
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