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Armed confrontation with police ends with fatality
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UPDATED Oct. 24 7:50 a.m. - Grant County District Attorney Lisa Riniker has determined the use of force by Grant County Sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Smith that resulted in the death of Roger B. Helgerson Jr. , which took place on September 1, 2017 in the town of Millville, Wisconsin, was justified.

UPDATED SEPT. 2 - 3 p.m. - The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), released new details about the fatal officer-involved shooting that took place the morning of Sept. 1, in Millville Township, including the name of the individual who died during the incident. 

After a morning autopsy, Roger B. Helgerson, Jr., 45, was the individual who succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene after deputies on the scene rendered first-aid.  

The involved deputy, who has not been named at this time, has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of this investigation. 

The Wisconsin DOJ-led investigation of this incident has been a collaboration between DCI, the Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office has been fully cooperating with DCI during this investigation. DCI is continuing to collect evidence and determine the facts of this incident and will turn over investigative reports to the Grant County District Attorney when the investigation concludes.

UPDATED - LANCASTER - 9 p.m. Sept. 1- Authorities stated that an autopsy will be conducted Saturday on the individual who died in an officer-involved shooting Friday, adding that the individual "armed himself with a weapon" before confronting one of the two deputies who been involved in a pursuit.

Grant County Sheriff Nate Dreckman told reporters "there were shots fired," causing the death of the male victim at the scene in rural Mount Hope. "The involved deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of this investigation, as the Grant County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting an internal investigation as well."

Officer-involved shootings are investigated by an independent agency in Wisconsin, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office requested the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to conduct the criminal investigation. The Wisconsin DOJ-led investigation of this incident has been a collaboration between DCI, the Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory, according to the Sheriff's Office Friday night. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office has been fully cooperating with DCI during this investigation.

DCI is continuing to collect evidence and determine the facts of this incident and will turn over investigative reports to the Grant County District Attorney when the investigation concludes, Dreckman stated.

After the autopsy Saturday morning on the male victim,  further information will be released.

MOUNT HOPE — What was referred to as "an armed standoff" by a neighbor has ended with a death at a rural Mount Hope property on Millville Hollow Road this morning.

The dead man was identified by a neighbor as a former Army veteran whom he said was being evicted from his home after foreclosure. The neighbor also reported hearing a single shot.

Other non-official reports contradict that description, saying it was a shooting from an escalation around a traffic stop.

What is know factually is relatively scant and has been supplied through a press release from the Department of Justice. The DOJ said the incident started when "deputies attempted to make contact with a suspect located at a residence near Highway 18 and Clark Road."

The state Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation was called to the scene to investigate the matter. The request was made by the Grant County Sheriff's Department, as an officer was involved in the shooting. That officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

The DCI is being aided in their investigation by the State Patrol and the Wisconsin Crime Laboratory. The DCI will turn over investigative results to the Grant County District Attorney's office.

The name of the dead man is being withheld by police at this time.

The Grant County Tactical Response team, Grant County Emergency Management, Fennimore Police Department, Crawford County Sheriff's Department and local EMS were on the scene to assist the Grant County Sheriff's Office.

This story will continue to be updated as information is released. The extended story will be available in next week's edition of the Fennimore Times.

Updated: 2:45 p.m. CST 09/01/17