A Wisconsin disturbance call turns violent as a driver plows toward police, leaving four officers hospitalized

A routine disturbance call in downtown Green Bay turned violent after a vehicle drove into a crowd that included police officers, injuring four of them. The officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken for medical treatment, per WSAZ.

Green Bay police had been called to the area of Doty and Washington streets after a report of a disturbance at a food truck. As officers investigated the situation, a vehicle suddenly drove into a group of officers and bystanders.

Police said one officer fired their gun as the vehicle entered the crowd. No one was injured by the gunfire, but the vehicle continued through the area before speeding away from the scene.

The driver was quickly stopped after fleeing the scene

The vehicle did not get far before other officers located it near North Monroe Avenue and Pine Street. Wisconsin State Patrol assisted Green Bay police in stopping the vehicle, allowing officers to take the driver into custody. Police said the driver was suspected of operating while intoxicated.

The quick arrest gave investigators an immediate suspect as they began piecing together what happened. Authorities have not indicated that the driver remained at the scene after the vehicle entered the crowd, with the person instead fleeing before being stopped by responding officers.

The incident also prompted a separate investigation into the officer who fired their weapon, according to GreenBayPressGazette. The Brown County Sheriff’s Office will assist Green Bay police with that portion of the investigation, creating an outside layer of review into the use of the firearm. Green Bay police said the officer has been placed on administrative leave in accordance with department policy.

Investigators will also have body-camera footage from the officers involved as they work to establish exactly what happened. Police confirmed that the officers were wearing body cameras, and that footage will be reviewed as part of the investigation. That could help investigators determine how the vehicle approached the crowd, what officers saw before the gun was fired, and how the confrontation unfolded in those critical moments.

The disturbance and resulting crash also affected other downtown activity. Downtown Green Bay, Inc. canceled the downtown farmers market as investigators continued working at the scene.

For now, the investigation involves several separate questions: the circumstances that led to the vehicle entering the crowd, the driver’s suspected intoxication, and the officer’s decision to fire. Authorities continue to establish a complete account of the incident.