(Tyler Ladwig: Credit WCSO)
Report - On September 30, 2016, an officer-involved shooting took place in Sawyer County near the intersection of State Highway 77 and Harper Road. The incident involved Washburn County Sherriff’s Deputy Jordan Price. While patrolling Washburn County, Deputy Price attempted to make a traffic stop and pursued a fleeing vehicle into Sawyer County. After the suspect vehicle came to a final stop, both the passenger and driver exited. Deputy Price approached both with his firearm drawn and shouted commands multiple times. The driver, Tyler Ladwig, would not follow any of Deputy Price’s commands. Ladwig then hid his left hand in the vehicle and told Deputy Price that he “could not go back to jail.” Ladwig then informed Deputy Price that he had a gun. Ladwig quickly pulled what appeared to be a black pistol out of the car. Deputy Price responded by firing his weapon multiple times striking Ladwig twice. Ladwig was treated on the scene by law enforcement until EMS workers arrived. Upon the arrival of EMS workers, Ladwig was transported to Hayward Area Memorial Hospital and eventually transported by air to Regions Medical Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Ladwig was treated for two gunshot wounds and later released.
As a result of the incident, and pursuant to the laws of the State of Wisconsin, a comprehensive investigation was undertaken by the Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation. The lead investigator was Special Agent Adam Frederick. The investigation included scene mapping and reconstruction by the Wisconsin State Patrol, evidence collection, multiple interviews, lab testing, citizen and squad video review, photographs, and miscellaneous other information. The following is a summary of that information.
Tyler M. Ladwig Status as of September 30, 2016
A review of records shows that Tyler Ladwig was out of custody and on a bond for possession of methamphetamine in a Sawyer County criminal matter. A review of Ladwig’s criminal history shows he was convicted nine times prior to September of 2016 for crimes including resisting or obstructing an officer, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, operating a motor vehicle after revocation, disorderly conduct, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
During his contact with law enforcement in October of 2013, it was reported Tyler Ladwig wanted to kill himself and had armed himself with a knife. Upon arrival and discovery, Ladwig would not obey commands from law enforcement and fled from police.
In August of 2014 during another contact with law enforcement, Mr. Ladwig swore and attempted to propel bodily fluids at the arresting officers. Ladwig refused to comply with the orders of the officers and used dead weight tactics forcing officers to physically remove Ladwig from a domestic disturbance. In addition to swearing, spitting, and yelling, Ladwig continued to physically attempt to break free and prevent officers from taking him into custody.
In January of 2016 deputies were called to another domestic disturbance where Ladwig again continually failed to comply with orders. Ladwig opened the door for deputies but then told deputies he would not come out nor show his hands. When asked if he had any weapons Ladwig lied and said he did not, however he did have a knife. When law enforcement attempted to control Ladwig by grabbing his hand, Ladwig resisted and physically attempted to pull away from the deputy.
Deputy Jordan Price Interview
Special Agent Adam Frederick reports that Deputy Jordan Price was interviewed on October 3, 2016. Deputy Price outlined his training and experience, including receiving an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice as well as completing the Police Academy at the Chippewa Valley Technical College. Deputy Price detailed his employment with the Washburn County Sheriff’s Office since May of 2015, and his part-time employment with the Hayward Police Department as a patrol officer. Deputy Price completed a field training program with the Washburn County Sheriff’s Office and another with the Hayward Police Department. Deputy Price’s training included defense and arrest tactics (DAAT), legal updates, and standardized field sobriety testing (SFST).
Deputy Price advised that prior to September 30, 2016, he had no professional interactions with Tyler Ladwig. Deputy Price was aware of ongoing investigations involving Ladwig transporting methamphetamine between Sawyer and Washburn Counties. Deputy Price was also aware of Ladwig’s brothers being involved in the criminal justice system, including one brother leading law enforcement on a recent pursuit from Sawyer County ending in Rusk County.
Deputy Price reports on September 30, 2016, he was working a scheduled patrol shift traveling on Highway 77 in Washburn County. While traveling westbound, Deputy Price activated his radar in the squad car and registered a vehicle traveling eastbound at 64 miles per hour (mph) in a 55-mph zone. Deputy Price turned his squad around and attempted to catch up to the vehicle to conduct a traffic stop. While attempting to catch the vehicle, Deputy Price observed that same vehicle pass one or two vehicles while traveling at a high rate of speed. At that point, Deputy Price activated his emergency lights and siren while still trying to catch the suspect vehicle. Other vehicles on the road began pulling over while Deputy Price was in pursuit.
Due to the curvy road, Deputy Price shut his lights and siren off in an attempt to slow the fleeing vehicle. The fleeing vehicle continued to travel at a high rate of speed and Deputy Price reactivated his lights and sirens.
As Deputy Price pursued the fleeing vehicle with his lights and siren activated, he believed the driver of the fleeing vehicle knew he was attempting a traffic stop. All other vehicles that were on that same road were pulling over for Deputy Price’s emergency vehicle. Deputy Price believed he was traveling 113 mph and was having difficulties closing the distance of the fleeing vehicle.
As the pursuit approached Sawyer County, Deputy Price requested the assistance of the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Department. As the pursuit continued towards the City of Hayward, vehicle traffic on Highway 77 increased. Deputy Price was about to terminate the pursuit due to the traffic when the fleeing vehicle stopped. As the fleeing vehicle abruptly stopped, Deputy Price traveled just beyond the suspect vehicle. Deputy Price observed the suspect vehicle’s passenger door open. Deputy Price did not see a person exit the suspect vehicle at that time.
While turning his squad around, Deputy Price saw the suspect vehicle began fleeing westbound. The suspect vehicle eventually did pull over and stop approximately a half mile from the initial stop location.
At the final stop location the marked squad was approximately 2-3 car lengths from the suspect vehicle. Deputy Price put the squad in park and radioed dispatch to notify them of his location. Deputy Price exited his squad with his hand gun drawn as the driver and passenger of the fleeing vehicle exited their vehicle. The female passenger began walking towards Deputy Price. The female, who was later identified as Christina M. Case, walked down to the ditch away from the vehicles. Deputy Price noted that Case seemed oddly calm.
While Case was in the ditch away from the suspect vehicle, the male, who was later identified as Tyler Ladwig, was at the driver’s door facing Deputy Price. Ladwig was standing outside of the vehicle with his left arm orientated down towards the driver’s seat. Deputy Price believed Ladwig had something in his hand at the time it was inside of the vehicle. Deputy Price walked up to approximately 10-15 feet from the rear bumper of the suspect vehicle. Deputy Price was ordering Ladwig to show his hands, but Ladwig was yelling uncontrollably and did not comply. Deputy Price thought Ladwig was either mentally unstable or high on narcotics. Deputy Price recalled Ladwig yelling something about a miscarriage and “I have to get her to a hospital!” Deputy Price found that statement to be odd as the direction they were traveling was the opposite direction from the hospital. Case was telling the male to calm down from where she was standing. Ladwig continued to display odd behavior and told Deputy Price, “I can’t go to jail.” Deputy Price attempted to calm Ladwig down by telling him to “relax, it’s just a citation.” Deputy Price felt the situation was escalating and radioed to dispatch for backup to respond.
Deputy Price continued to yell to Ladwig to take his hand out from the car and walk back towards Deputy Price. Deputy Price believed he told Ladwig this approximately six times. Ladwig dropped to his knees covering his head and began crying hysterically saying “I can’t. I can’t.” Deputy Price realized Ladwig was on edge and began talking to him in a calming voice asking for Ladwig’s name. Deputy Price heard Case say “Tyler, just cooperate.”
Ladwig stood up and reached back into the vehicle while facing Deputy Price. Case said, “Tyler, just drop it.” Deputy Price believed Case was referring to a weapon. Ladwig said “I can’t go back to jail. Just shoot me.” Deputy Price ordered Ladwig to drop it and believed Ladwig may have had a weapon because of his actions and Case’s comments. Ladwig told Deputy Price, “Just shoot me.”
Deputy Price replied, “Tyler, I’m not going to shoot you, just work with me.” Ladwig stated, “I can’t go back to jail.” At that point, Deputy Price was in fear for his life and realized the male was Tyler Ladwig and understood why Ladwig was saying he could not go back to jail.
Ladwig said, “It’s a gun, it’s a gun. I just want to throw it out.” Deputy Price told Ladwig multiple times to not touch the gun. Deputy Price recalled telling Ladwig, “Tyler, do not touch the gun or I will shoot you.” Ladwig quickly pulled the gun from the vehicle with his left hand. Deputy Price thought Ladwig pulled the weapon from the area of the driver’s seat. Deputy Price observed Ladwig holding the gun by the grip and believed Ladwig intended to shoot him. Deputy Price immediately began discharging his firearm.
Deputy Price knew Ladwig was hit as he fell back into the vehicle. Ladwig fell inside the driver’s side of the vehicle. Deputy Price notified dispatch of shots fired, Ladwig’s location and requested an ambulance.
Deputy Price observed Case still standing in the ditch, again noting she was oddly calm and talking on her phone. Deputy Price gave Ladwig orders to exit the vehicle, however Ladwig stated he could not move his legs. Deputy Price decided to wait for backup for safety purposes.
Sawyer County Deputy Matt Jefson arrived on scene and took a position of cover. Deputy Price observed Ladwig move his leg with his hands and could tell Ladwig had no control of his leg. Hayward Officer Savannah Stanley also arrived on scene.
Ladwig was ordered to get out of the vehicle and on the ground. Ladwig began to comply as Deputy Price, Deputy Jefson, and Officer Stanley approached the vehicle. Deputy Jefson provided cover to Deputy Price as he attempted to handcuff Ladwig. Deputy Price observed the gun Ladwig had on the ground near the “v” of the driver’s side door. Ladwig was pulled away from the vehicle and the gun was secured. Deputy Price observed injuries to Ladwig’s leg and shoulder.
Officer Stanley, who previously served as a combat medic in the U.S. Military, began to provide aftercare until the Sawyer County Medic arrived. Ladwig was taken by ambulance to Hayward Area Memorial Hospital for treatment of his injuries.
Officer Savanna Stanley
On September 30, 2016, Special Agent Charles J. McBain, Jr. interviewed Savannah Stanley regarding the officer-involved shooting of Tyler Ladwig. Savannah Stanley stated she is a full-time police officer for the City of Hayward Police Department. She indicated that she was working on September 30, 2016, and at approximately 8:00 p.m. she heard there was a pursuit coming towards the Sawyer County line from Washburn County. The dispatcher stated that a Washburn County deputy was in pursuit of a vehicle that had failed to stop.
Officer Stanley stated that at some point the dispatcher advised the pursuit had terminated just into Sawyer County and that shots had been fired. She stated that no indication was given as to who had fired shots. She indicated that simultaneous to "shots fired" being called out by the dispatchers, the dispatchers asked her and Sawyer County Deputy Matthew Jefson to respond to the area of State Highway 77 and the Sawyer County line to assist the Washburn County deputy who was involved in the pursuit. Stanley stated that she and Deputy Jefson arrived near the intersection of State Highway 77 and Harper Road simultaneously.
Officer Stanley stated that the Washburn County squad was west of the intersection of State Highway 77 and Harper Road facing west with the suspect vehicle in front. After parking her squad, Officer Stanley exited and moved toward the Washburn County Deputy who she recognized as Deputy Price. She stated that Deputy Price was positioned behind the open driver’s door of his squad and that Deputy Price had his weapon drawn. She stated that she also had her weapon drawn and recognized the suspect vehicle as belonging to Tyler Ladwig. She indicated that she has had numerous professional contacts with Ladwig. She stated that Deputy Price told her, he “could no longer see the gun."
Officer Stanley heard Deputy Price ordering Ladwig to "get out of the car and show me your hands!" Officer Stanley noted that Ladwig was partially in the driver’s side door of the suspect vehicle and that his legs were hanging out of the door. She stated that Deputy Price gave orders to Ladwig for a "good minute" before Ladwig “slithered" out of the car onto State Highway 77. Once Ladwig was outside the vehicle on his stomach, Officer Stanley, Deputy Price, and Deputy Jefson approached Ladwig with their weapons drawn.
As Officer Stanley approached the vehicle, she could see a gun laying on the front seat. She stated that she did not attempt to secure the gun from the driver’s side due to the close proximity of Ladwig to the gun. She went to the passenger side of the suspect vehicle and opened the front passenger door in order to kneel on the passenger seat and grab the "black handgun" off of the driver’s seat. She stated that after grabbing the gun she attempted to "make the gun safe" but was unable to "remove the magazine" from the gun and noticed that the gun felt "light." Officer Stanley couldn't "remove the magazine from the gun" so she placed the gun into the cargo pocket of her uniform pants. After securing the gun, she went back to the driver’s side of the suspect vehicle to help secure Ladwig in handcuffs.
Officer Stanley indicated when she got back to where Ladwig was laying on the highway, she heard Ladwig saying "why didn't you kill me" and "I took too much meth."
Officer Stanley began to perform a medical assessment on Ladwig and observed an entry and exit wound on Ladwig’s right shoulder and an entry wound near his left femur. Stanley stated that shortly after she started the medical assessment, a Sawyer County Medic arrived and began trauma care on Ladwig. She stated that while she was doing the medical assessment on Ladwig, Sawyer County Deputy Ryan Schick arrived on the scene, removed the gun from Stanley’s cargo pocket, and placed it in the back of Deputy Price’s Washburn County squad car. Officer Stanley reports after Ladwig was loaded into the ambulance she taped off the scene at the request of Sawyer County Sheriff’s Detective Bryan Deyo and began a scene log.
Deputy Matthew Jefson Interview
On September 30, 2016, Special Agent Gerald Katchka conducted an interview with Deputy Matthew Jefson at the scene. Deputy Jefson was in the City of Hayward when he heard dispatch advise officers that the Washburn County Sheriff’s Department was in a high speed pursuit, traveling east on State Highway 77. Dispatch continued providing updates, stating that the pursuit had ended on State Highway 77 near Harper Road, and the suspect was being uncooperative and not showing his hands.
Deputy Jefson responded to the area at a high speed with the emergency lights and sirens activated on his patrol vehicle. Dispatch advised that shots had been fired at the scene. Upon arrival to the scene, Deputy Jefson observed Washburn County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Jordan Price standing inside of the driver’s side door of his marked patrol vehicle, pointing his sidearm at a gold colored Pontiac Grand Am.
Deputy Jefson parked his vehicle behind Deputy Price’s vehicle, exited, drew his sidearm, and ran to the passenger’s side of Deputy Price’s vehicle. Deputy Jefson was able to observe a male subject, known by him to be Tyler Ladwig, sitting in the driver’s seat of the Pontiac, with his legs and head “slumped” outside of the vehicle, with one hand up and the other out of sight. Deputy Jefson stated that Ladwig was screaming in apparent pain. Deputy Jefson knew Ladwig from prior professional contacts as a methamphetamine user and trafficker who was heavily involved in criminal activities, as were several of his siblings. The Ladwig family was known by Deputy Jefson to have had multiple prior encounters with police involving fleeing or resisting arrest.
Jefson explained that Deputy Price was yelling commands to Ladwig. Deputy Price yelled, “Tyler, get out of the car, lay on the ground, and show me your other hand.” Jefson stated that Ladwig was not cooperating with any of the commands given by Deputy Price, so Deputy Jefson began issuing the commands as well. Deputy Price informed Deputy Jefson that Ladwig had been in possession of a pistol. As Ladwig was not complying with orders to show his hand that was inside of the vehicle, officers remained behind cover and continued to issue orders.
Jefson observed Ladwig attempt to move his left leg, but was unable to do so as it appeared to be limp. Ladwig was able to maneuver his legs with his hands and exit the vehicle by laying on the ground under the driver’s door of his vehicle. Deputies Price and Jefson planned their approach, with Deputy Jefson providing cover while Deputy Price would secure Ladwig. While Deputy Price handcuffed Ladwig, Deputy Jefson observed a black semi-auto handgun lying on the ground near Ladwig under the door hinge of the driver’s side door of Ladwig’s vehicle. Jefson noted Officer Stanley secured the weapon and moved to Ladwig in order to conduct medical treatment.
Deputy Jefson observed Ladwig to have a large bulge and deformity to his left upper leg and Ladwig was yelling, “Owie, owie, owie! I was stupid!” As the Sawyer County ambulance and crew arrived and removed Ladwig from the scene, Deputy Jefson heard someone state that Ladwig was under the influence of methamphetamine. Deputy Jefson then began assisting other deputies by securing the crime scene, taping off the area containing the vehicles, and starting a crime scene log.
Tyler Ladwig Interview
On Tuesday, October 4, 2016, Tyler Ladwig was interviewed by Special Agent Adam L. Frederick and Special Agent Jake Vosters at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. Special Agent Frederick asked Ladwig if he remembered the incident and events from September 30, 2016. Ladwig stated that he did not remember and acknowledged he was high that night. Ladwig said he doesn’t remember much at all about the night he was shot. Ladwig stated he only remembered being shot, but did not recall why he was being pursued by a squad car.
Tyler Ladwig remembered he was in the “driver’s seat with my leg over my other leg sideways trying to get the officer to come help me.” Special Agent Frederick asked if that was after Ladwig was shot and Ladwig said it was as he didn’t remember anything prior to him being shot. Ladwig recalled it took the officers a while before they approached him. Ladwig was told by the officer to put his arms out the window but was unable to move one arm. Ladwig said the officers told him to get on the ground but he couldn’t move while he was partially in the vehicle.
Ladwig said he did not know why he was shot nor did he know what he had inside of the vehicle.
Ladwig said he complied with the “get on the ground” command and that was about it. Ladwig remembered telling the officer he was stupid. Ladwig said he did not recall any other details from the event.
Tyler Ladwig told investigators that he tested positive for opiates and methamphetamine and another unknown substance. Ladwig explained he smoked methamphetamine a few hours before the time he was shot.
Cristina Case Interview
On Friday, September 30, 2016, Special Agent Jay Smith along with Detective Bryan Deyo and Deputy Jay Poplin of the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Department interviewed Cristina Marie Case. Case had been a passenger in the vehicle driven by Tyler Ladwig and witnessed his arrest earlier in the evening.
Case and Tyler Ladwig had been in a relationship for the past three years and explained they were in an argument over Ladwig’s lost wallet. Case stated that at about 6:00 p.m., they went to a house west of Minong to visit Case’s sister and look for his wallet. When the wallet was not located they traveled together to another location until Ladwig accused Case of hiding his wallet. They argued and Case explained she got out of the car on County Highway I and walked down to a nearby lake on Nancy Lake Road and Ladwig left the area.
When Ladwig returned, he found Case walking by a church. She got back in the car and they started to drive back to Hayward. Case stated she laid down in the back seat and slept before waking up while the car was driving fast, and she observed emergency lights behind them.
Case knew Ladwig was out on felony bond and was scared to go back to jail. Case tried to calm Ladwig down by telling him if he continued to flee, he would kill her and their baby. Case recently found out she was pregnant with Ladwig’s child.
Case told investigators that Ladwig finally did pull over and she got out of the rear passenger side door and stood in the ditch. Case explained that the police officer told her “stay right there” and she did. During that time Case stated Ladwig was freaking out and yelling that he didn’t want to go to jail. Case was talking to the police officer and to Ladwig, trying to calm Ladwig and get him to comply. Case saw Ladwig outside the driver’s door, facing the officer, but was reaching back into the car with his left hand. Case stated the officer was pointing his gun at Ladwig and told him over and over to show his hands. Special Agent Smith asked what "over and over” meant and Case said the police officer ordered Ladwig to show his hands at least six times.
Case didn’t see what happened, but Ladwig did something and she heard the police officer fire multiple shots and heard the casings hit the ground. Case yelled at the police officer, asking him if he shot Ladwig. Then, upon the officer’s direction, Case stated she sat down with her back turned to the scene. According to Case, Ladwig fell back into the car, screaming while the officer ordered Ladwig to get out of the car. Case heard Ladwig say he couldn’t move his leg and backup officers came and took Ladwig out of the car. Case told investigators that she heard Ladwig say, “I’m stupid.” Smith asked Case what she thought, and Case agreed that Ladwig had acted stupidly.
Case knew that Ladwig had obtained a BB gun the previous week after his name was in the newspaper as an informant. Case claimed Ladwig had not been threatened by anyone, but had the BB gun for protection. Case did not want him to have it and told him not to keep it at their house or in the vehicle.
Case said she didn’t know if Ladwig had used methamphetamine that evening, but knew he had used it a few days ago. Case admitted that she last used methamphetamine with Ladwig about 10 days ago at their house by smoking it in a glass bubble. Ladwig had provided it on that occasion.
Paramedic / EMS Interviews
A number of EMS personnel who responded to the scene were interviewed as part of the investigation.
On October 1, 2016, Special Agent Charles J. McBain, Jr. interviewed Jacob Coleson regarding an officer involved shooting in Sawyer County. Coleson stated that he is an Advanced EMT for the Sawyer County Ambulance Service and was working on September 30, 2016. After care was provided to Tyler Ladwig at the scene, Ladwig was placed in an ambulance for transport. Coleson stated that he, Eric Nilson, Ashley Coleson, and John Froemel were in the back of the ambulance with Tyler Ladwig. Coleson stated that during the trip to the helicopter, the patient admitted to using methamphetamine "quite a bit." Coleson heard the patient state he used "a couple times a week." Coleson stated that during the transport to the helicopter, he heard Eric Nilson ask the patient, "Who's gun was it?" and heard the patient say, "mine." He also heard Nilson ask the patient, "What kind of gun?" and the patient replied, "BB." Coleson stated that he asked the patient, "Was your hand on the gun?" and the patient replied, "Yes." Coleson also asked the patient, "Did the officer tell you to drop the gun and/or not touch the gun?" and the patient answered, "Yes, I was trying to throw away the gun."
Deputy Ryan Schick Report
On September 30, 2016, Deputy Ryan Schick was on patrol for the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Department and responded to a location near the intersection of Harper Road and State Highway 77. At one point Deputy Schick walked over to Officer Stanley as she was providing medical care to Tyler Ladwig. Deputy Schick asked Stanley where the gun was located. Officer Stanley said it was in her left pocket and Deputy Schick removed the gun from the pocket. Officer Stanley said she did not think it was a real gun. Deputy Schick pulled the gun out of Stanley’s pocket and noted the gun taken from Ladwig’s possession appeared to be a BB gun. The BB gun was all black and the tip of the BB gun appeared to have been drilled out to make it look bigger. Deputy Schick walked back with the gun and placed it in the back of Deputy Price's squad car so it could be entered into evidence.
Citizen Video Review
On September 30, 2016, Sawyer County Sheriff’s Detective Bryan Deyo received a SD card from a witness who video recorded the incident. The beginning of the video showed the front driver’s side door in an open position with Ladwig kneeling on the ground. Case was near the rear of the car and eventually moved off to the side of the vehicle near the ditch. The video goes in and out of focus when Deputy Price was approaching the rear of Ladwig’s vehicle. At approximately 52 seconds Ladwig stands up from a kneeling position with his left hand inside of the vehicle. At approximately 56 seconds Ladwig removed what appeared to be a gun from the inside of the vehicle and transitioned to his right hand. The gun briefly was placed behind Ladwig’s back and then lowered to the side of his right thigh orientated closer to the front of the thigh. The right hand appeared to be holding the firearm by the grip of the gun. At 57 seconds the first shot was heard on the recording with multiple shots that followed. Ladwig grabbed onto his left leg falling into the vehicle. Deputy Price created distance from the shooting location and was out of the video frame.
Wisconsin State Patrol Total Station Reconstruction
Wisconsin State Trooper Trent Betley, with the assistance of Trooper Aaron Prohovnik, performed a Total Station forensic mapping of the incident scene at the request of the Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation. The scene was forensically mapped using a Trimble S6 Robotic Total Station. Detailed measurements of the scene were collected including but not limited to roadway, evidence, and other geographical markers. The data was then merged into a Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) program and a scaled diagram was completed.
Other Information – Crime Lab Results
As part of the investigation, testing was done by the Crime Lab on the firearm utilized by Deputy Price during the incident as well as cartridge casings and bullets recovered during the investigation. The Glock 40 caliber handgun was examined and found to be mechanically functional. Testing of the cartridge casings and bullets confirmed that they were all fired from the Glock 40 caliber handgun.
Use of Force Justified
After review of all of the information, it is clear that Deputy Jordan Price was justified in the use of lethal force during this incident with Tyler Ladwig. Justification for the force used includes but is not limited to the following analysis:
- Tyler Ladwig was on bond for possession of methamphetamine at the time of the incident on September 30, 2016.
- EMS personnel reported that Ladwig admitted he had his hand on the weapon despite hearing Deputy Jordan Price instructing him not to touch the weapon. Ladwig also told the paramedics that he used a lot of methamphetamine that afternoon before the incident.
- Tyler Ladwig, at the time of the incident on September 30, 2016, had a recent history of failing to comply with law enforcement, including concealing weapons, attempting to elude officers, and physically resisting while being taken into custody. During the prior contacts with law enforcement, Tyler Ladwig expressed a desire to kill himself and had a knife in his possession on multiple occasions.
- On September 30, 2016, Tyler Ladwig’s actions of fleeing in a motor vehicle at a high rate of speed showed no regard for the safety and well-being of other travelers on the road, his pregnant passenger, or even himself. Tyler Ladwig indicated through his actions and statements that he was not going to be taken into custody.
- Deputy Jordan Price reported that Ladwig’s statements varied. Some statements made no sense, and some statements were requests to shoot him because he did not want to go back to jail. Ladwig’s conduct included yelling, crying, and other actions that suggested he was suffering from the effects of narcotics or a mental condition.
- Deputy Jordan Price and Christina Case confirmed that Tyler Ladwig was commanded multiple times to show his hands prior to being shot. Both Price and Case stated that they told Ladwig not to touch the weapon or to drop the weapon.
- Deputy Price reported that Tyler Ladwig stated he had a gun prior to quickly pulling the gun out of the vehicle. Examination of the “gun” recovered from Tyler Ladwig had modifications including being all black in color and having the barrel drilled out to look like a semi-automatic pistol.
- Deputy Price expressed fear of death or great bodily harm under the circumstances.
- The interviews of Deputy Jordan Price and Christina Case provide a consistent account of the incident when compared to the citizen video.
I would like to thank the Department of Justice, the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Department, and the Hayward Police Department for their thorough work on this investigation. The materials involved in the investigation included several hundred pages of reports and interviews, photographs, videos, and other information related to this investigation. The review of this information, including the citizen video, interviews of the involved officers as well as Christine Case, leads to the conclusion that the force used by Deputy Jordan Price was appropriate under the totality of the circumstances.
Bruce R. Poquette
District Attorney
Sawyer County
Last Update: Mar 17, 2017 1:53 pm CDT
