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Names released in Marinette County officer-involved fatal shooting

MARINETTE, Wis. — Authorities have released names in an officer-involved shooting Friday morning in Marinette County’s Town of Amberg.

Killed in the incident was 74-year-old Duane W. Rich of Wausaukee, Wis.

The sheriff’s office was called about 11 a.m. Friday for a domestic incident at a residence. Law enforcement attempted to make contact with a man sitting in a vehicle, then followed when he left in the vehicle, according to a news release from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, which is handling the investigation.

After a short distance, the man got out of the vehicle and brandished a firearm, then was shot by sheriff’s Deputy Jesse Parr, the DOJ stated Tuesday.

Officers began life-saving measures, but Rich died at a local hospital, according to the news release.

Parr, who has five years in law enforcement, has been placed on administrative duty, per department policy.

The DOJ’s Division of Criminal Investigation will lead the investigation and are being assisted by Wisconsin State Patrol, Pembine Rescue, Athelstane Fire Department, Marinette County Medical Examiner, Marinette County Dispatch and the DOJ Office of Crime Victim Services. All involved law enforcement are fully cooperating with DCI during this investigation, the DOJ stated in the news release.

The DCI is continuing to review evidence and determine the facts of this incident and will turn over investigative reports to the Marinette County district attorney when the investigation is finished.

Further information will be released when available.

This is the second officer-involved fatal shooting in Marinette County in the past five weeks. John Lipski, 62, of Milwaukee, was killed Oct. 23 after calling authorities from a Goodman, Wis., home saying he wanted to die because he’d killed “his best friend” Richard Gibbs, also 62 and of Milwaukee. Gibbs later was found in the home dead from gunshot wounds in what was ruled a homicide, according to the state DCI, which handled that investigation as well.

Five members of the department were cleared in the Lipski shooting. Lipski reportedly refused multiple commands to drop the weapon when confronted and eventually pointed the gun at deputies, according to the DCI report. Parr was not one of the five officers involved.

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