HUDSON, Wis. – A grieving Sheriff Scott Knudson said Tuesday that the killing of Deputy Kaitlin "Kaitie" R. Leising in a roadside shooting Saturday has devastated his tight-knit St. Croix County Sheriff's Office.
Leising, who is survived by her wife, Courtney, and their 3-month-old son, joined the western Wisconsin sheriff's office a year ago and had become known for her joyful spirit.
"If you have a bad day, talk to Kaitie, because your bad day is done," Knudson said. "And that was the absolute truth."
In an emotional news conference at the sheriff's office, Knudson shared some of the whirlwind of emotions he and his department have felt since Leising's killing, from confusion and anger over the gunman's actions on a seemingly routine call to gratitude for the outpouring of community support that has followed.
Knudson also took a frustrated swipe at anti-law enforcement voices, saying "those who continue to beat us down" can stir violence against officers and make it harder to bring in new recruits. "We are tired," he said. "My whole profession is tired."
Leising's death was the third fatal shooting of an on-duty law enforcement officer in the region in a month.
A graduate of Chadron High School in Chadron, Neb., Leising earned a bachelor's degree from Black Hills State University before pursuing her life's ambition to become a law enforcement officer, according to her obituary. The "small but feisty" Leising had "such a love for people, especially children, who always seemed to gravitate towards her," the obituary said. "She was always willing and eager to help others around her, even taking a special interest as a teenager to her peers that were less fortunate than her."
She married Courtney Leising in 2017, and earlier this year they welcomed their son, Syler. Kaitlin Leising worked for the Pennington County Sheriff's Office in Rapid City, S.D., for two years before moving to St. Croix County.