Officials release findings from 2023 Fond du Lac shooting involving K-9 Iro
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WFRV) – New details in the Fond du Lac officer-involved shooting that left one person dead and a K-9 officer seriously injured were released Monday afternoon.
Officials hosted a press conference at the Fond du Lac County Highway Department and explained what unfolded during the shooting.
The incident occurred in the early hours of October 14, 2023, when Deputy Blaine Evans and K-9 Iro responded to the scene and encountered 34-year-old Kyle Massie.
“With five minutes left in his shift, Deputy Blaine and Iro loaded up in the squad car, and when he got to the intersection of Western and Seymour, that’s when he came face-to-face with the suspect who had just left his home who he realized was armed with a rifle,” explained Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt. “The rifle was readily accessible, and I believe that suspect left home to hunt down his victim when he realized the victim had broken free from his captivity.”
After further investigation, Fond du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney announced that the Deputy and K-9 involved in the deadly shooting would not be facing any criminal charges.
District Attorney Toney and Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt also released new details on the injuries that K-9 Iro suffered during the incident.
“Blaine Evans enters the garage to find Iro laying in a pool of his own blood,” said Sheriff Waldschmidt. “The wounds are many, and they’re very significant. Iro sustained significant trauma to his chest, significant trauma to his torso, significant trauma to both right legs, and basically his right rear leg was shattered and severely wounded from a rifle round that had penetrated through that leg.”
Other details on what led to the shooting during today’s conference were released, including the fact that the suspect, Kyle Massie, committed numerous felonies.
“Blaine continued to return fire in an attempt to stop the threat, which is what we do, we return fire, we protect ourselves, we defend ourselves in an effort to stop the threat,” explained Sheriff Waldschmidt. “And as soon as that threat ceases, we cease, and we go into a life-saving mode.”
That information prompted Deputy Blaine Evans and K-9 Iro to locate Massie. Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt said Massie’s family is trying to understand the events of that day, saying this behavior was out of character for him and that he had a clean history.
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“We have the suspect’s family and I know they’re probably hurting. I know that they don’t condone the activity that occurred over the course of that night with the victim,” said Sheriff Waldschmidt. “They don’t condone the behavior of their loved one.”
Officials released that the investigation reflected that it is ‘probable’ that Kyle Massie committed the following crimes:
First Degree Sexual Assault
Kidnapping
False Imprisonment
First Degree Reckless Endangering Safety
Eluding an Officer
Felony Harassment of a Police Animal
Felony Mistreating Animals
Attempted First Degree Intentional Homicide
Deputy Evans has been on Administrative Leave since the shooting, per department policy, but Iro continues to heal from his extensive injuries, traveling to Madison a couple of days a week for Physical Therapy.
District Attorney Eric Toney said that Massie had the power to change his fate but instead fired at authorities and then made a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“He could have stopped when the lights went on, could have stopped and surrendered when the sirens went on and could have stopped when the pit maneuver occurred,” explained District Attorney Toney. “Instead, he decided to travel to that garage, crash through a closed garage door or partially closed garage door, and immediately get out of his car swinging an AR-15 in the direction of Blaine Evans.”
He added that Iro is a hero and saved his handler’s life that day.
“Thankfully Iro was there with Blaine, it’s a two-man team,” said District Attorney Toney. “That distraction gave Blaine enough time to return fire, time to reposition, time to get to better cover, and undoubtedly saved Blaine’s life.”
Both Sheriff Waldschmidt and District Attorney Eric Toney thanked the community for their support and those at Blue Pearl Hospital who worked quickly and diligently to save Iro.
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“After the self-inflicted gunshot there was a significant effort to get medical care to canine Iro,” said District Attorney Toney. “But prior to that surgery, Deputy Evans said to Iro, ‘You saved dad. And we have to save you,’ and that’s exactly what our law enforcement did.”
For more details from the Investigation, you can access them on the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s website.
