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Burglar posing as officer shoots, injures homeowners in tiny Wilson, Wis.
St. Croix sheriff says Wilson, Wis., residence was targeted
Residents in a small Wisconsin town were shocked Sunday to hear that a man posing as a sheriff's deputy invaded a home in their neighborhood, demanded money and drugs, shot a couple, then fled.
Police had not arrested the suspect as of Sunday night. During a search of the home, police found a few ounces of marijuana. They do not think the incident was random.
"This is a very small community, and that's one of the reasons that we moved here," said Heather Smith, who lives across the street from where the home invasion occurred in Wilson, Wis. "It was scary."
It happened at 11 p.m. Saturday in the town of 176 residents, 30 miles east of Hudson, Wis.
Tom and Maria Erickson were in bed at their home in the 600 block of Main Street when Maria Erickson awoke to "four or five large bangs," said Chief Deputy John Shilts of the St. Croix County Sheriff's Department. The couple's 3-year-old son also was home.
The Ericksons went to investigate and found the suspect outside their bedroom door.
They described him as a white male, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and between 150 and 180 pounds, Shilts said.
He was wearing camouflage pants, a dark shirt with "SHERIFF" written across it, a baseball cap and a bandana or mask covering his face, Shilts said. The man was armed with a long gun.
The invader told the couple he was with the sheriff's department.
He forced the couple to the floor and demanded money and drugs, Shilts said.
"This caused the Ericksons to be suspicious, so they asked the individual to produce a badge or identification," Shilts said. "Obviously this suspect was not able to produce those."
The suspect pretended to talk into a radio on his shoulder and told the Ericksons backup was on the way, Shilts said.
That's when a struggle ensued between Tom Erickson and the intruder over the gun. During the fight, the gun went off, shooting Maria Erickson in her leg, Shilts said. She fled to a bathroom.
Her husband continued to fight the suspect for the gun.
Several more shots were fired — one hitting Tom Erickson in his abdomen, Shilts said.
The suspect fled the house, taking nothing. Maria Erickson called 911.
Paramedics took the couple to Regions Hospital in St. Paul. Maria Erickson was treated and released. Tom Erickson remained at the hospital Sunday in good condition. Their son was unharmed during the attack.
The family declined interviews with the media, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Investigators believe the home was targeted for the invasion, Shilts said.
Deputies said the amount of marijuana found was "not consistent with personal use," Shilts said. However, Shilts said he did not know of previous police calls to the home, and police and neighbors said it was not known as a drug house.
Shilts said investigators have no doubt that the drugs belonged to the couple, based on where authorities found it.
Les Peterson, a neighbor, grew up with the couple in the nearby town of Spring Valley, Wis. Peterson, 35, described the couple as "pretty laid-back" and always playing sports with their children outside.
Peterson said he did not associate the couple as drug users.
The event "freaked him out," said Peterson, who got out his gun after it happened.
A couple of houses down, Smith was watching a movie with her husband when the attack took place.
"We heard popping noises, but we thought it was coming from the kitchen," said Smith, 49.
After deputies came to her door with questions, she realized it was gunshots she heard.
Anyone with information about the incident can call the St. Croix County Sheriff's Department between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 715-381-4320, or the dispatch line after hours at 715-386-4701.
Maricella Miranda can be reached at 651-228-5421.