Officers Thomas Lichtensteiger, Dustin Becker, and Stacie Bruss.
On February 25, 2016, Police Officers Stacie Bruss, Dustin Becker, and Thomas Lichtensteiger were involved in a vehicle pursuit of a suspect who had just robbed the Westbury Bank on W. Washington St.
The officers utilized team tactics to conduct a safe pursuit and were able to stop the vehicle in the parking lot of Fleet Farm in West Bend.
As the officers were giving the suspect directions, he exited the vehicle and held a knife to his neck, threatening to harm himself. Officers pleaded with the subject to drop the knife and tried to reason with him. After several tense moments, the suspect began cutting himself.
Knowing the subject would die unless they acted immediately, the officers quickly intervened and were able to safely take the man into custody. The officers immediately transitioned to life-saving tactics and applied first aid to the suspect’s serious self-inflicted neck injuries, clearly saving his life.
Due to the three officers’ teamwork and quick action, the suspect was able to be transported to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa, WI where he received emergency surgery to save his life. The suspect made a full recovery and will be held accountable for his actions that day.
These three officers demonstrated their professionalism and commitment to the value of all human life in this incident. Their quick actions saved the suspect’s life and prevented any other innocent bystanders from being hurt.