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Law enforcement officers killed in California, Wisconsin

Two law enforcement officers, one in Wisconsin and another in California, were shot and killed as they responded to incidents Tuesday, March 24.
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By Faith Karimi

(CNN) — Two law enforcement officers, one in Wisconsin and another in California, were shot and killed as they responded to incidents Tuesday, March 24, 2015.

The suspect in the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, incident died. The suspect in the San Jose shooting was found dead on his balcony with a gunshot wound, authorities said.

It’s unclear whether the suspects were fatally shot by other law enforcement officers or if they died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

San Jose incident

San Jose Police Officer Michael Johnson, a 14-year veteran, was killed while responding to a report of a man threatening to kill himself, the city police department said.

The incident started when police got a call Tuesday evening about a “despondent, intoxicated man, who possibly had access to a weapon, including a rifle,” said San Jose Police Chief Larry Esquivel.

When officers arrived at the scene, they were met with gunfire, said Esquivel, adding that investigators were still trying “to understand what truly happened.”

Johnson was the first San Jose officer killed on duty in 14 years. The last officer killed on duty, Jeffrey Fontana, was in the same academy graduating class as Johnson, Esquivel said.

“It’s unfortunate for any of our officers to lose their lives, whether it’s that class or any class,” he said.

It is not known whether the suspect was wounded in the exchange of gunfire, the police chief said.

“SJPD grieves as we offer our condolences to the family of our brother,” the police department tweeted.

Officer Alberto Morales, a department spokesman, said many officers were shaken by the death.

“Officers were obviously crying, grieving,” he said. “They will do so for some time, as will many of us in the department

Our hearts, prayers go out with the family of Michael, our brother. This is a very, very difficult time right now.”

Wisconsin shooting

In Wisconsin, a state trooper was killed during an attempted bank robbery in Fond du Lac, authorities said. The name of the fallen trooper has not yet been disclosed.

Gunfire rang out when the trooper was pursuing a car that matched the description of one used in a bank robbery, CNN affiliate WITI reported.

There was an exchange of gunfire, which led to the trooper’s death. The suspect also died.

Authorities are not looking for any additional suspects.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation will conduct an investigation, a requirement for officer-involved shootings in the state.

Officers killed in line of duty

The number of law enforcement officers shot to death in the line of duty rose more than 50% last year, according to Washington-based National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Many of those shootings occurred during police interactions with suspects such as traffic stops, responses to disturbances or attempted arrests.

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