Hundreds mourn slain Wisconsin deputy

CAMERON, WIS. – More than 1,000 people gathered at the former Cameron Elementary School on Friday for the funeral of Rusk County Deputy Dan Glaze Jr., 33, who was shot and killed in his squad car last weekend south of Ladysmith, Wis.

The suspect in Glaze's death, a 43-year-old man from Conrath, Wis., remains in custody in the Barron County jail on a probation hold.

Jeremiah King, Glaze's brother-in-law, said Glaze was dedicated to his work.

"He saw his role as helping people who needed it," King said. "Dan made our community a better place to live."

Officers came from around Wisconsin and also from New York; Chicago; Fargo, N.D.; Minneapolis; Orleans Parish in Louisiana, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, according to Eau Claire police spokesman Kyle Roder. Gov. Scott Walker and U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wausau, also attended the service.

Glaze had worked for the sheriff's office for 1½ years and quickly made a strong impression, Rusk County Sheriff Jeff Wallace said.

"If you met Dan Glaze, he was your friend, no questions asked," Wallace said.

The Rev. Mark Wilson of Hayward Wesleyan Church gave the eulogy.

"One week ago, none of us would imagine we'd be doing this today," he said. "Why did such a senseless tragedy happen?"

Wilson urged the mourners to focus on being kind and united in the wake of Glaze's death. "Turn from evil, and do good," he said.

Glaze had responded to a call on Broken Arrow Road, about 10 miles south of Ladysmith, at 10:55 p.m. Oct. 29.

A Rusk County dispatcher lost contact with Glaze shortly after the deputy had arrived at the scene. When other officers arrived, they found Glaze dead in his squad car from a gunshot wound.

Online court records show that he was charged in July with first-degree recklessly endangering safety and resisting an officer. He also was convicted of fleeing an officer in 2014. He was convicted of a felony-level operating-while-intoxicated offense in 2012 and ordered to serve a year in jail. He also was convicted of battery in 2003 and fourth-degree sexual assault in 1992.