By Tracy Ouellette
SLN Staff
The Walworth County Sheriff’s Office identified the deputy who shot a 21-year-old man Feb. 24 in the parking lot of Roma’s Ristorante in East Troy after the man failed to follow the commands from officers at the scene.
The suspect, Christopher J. Davis, 21, of Milwaukee, died at a Milwaukee-area hospital after a high-speed chase on Interstate 43 and crash in Muskego, according to the Sheriff’s Office. There were two other suspects in the car who ran away from the crash scene and were later found.
The Walworth County deputy who shot Davis is Juan Ortiz, 30. According to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office, Ortiz is on administrative duty while the incident remains under investigation. The Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, is continuing as the lead agency in the investigation.
Capt. Scott McClory the Sheriff’s Office was referring all requests for information regarding the shooting to the DOJ. Attempts to contact the DOJ were unsuccessful as of press time.
According to the press release, Ortiz shot Davis while assisting the Village of East Troy Police Department with a drug investigation last week Wednesday at about 5:30 p.m. at the Town of East Troy restaurant on Highway ES.
Walworth County Sheriff Kurt Picknell said in a press conference Feb. 25 the suspects fled officers from Roma’s after the shooting, resulting in a high-speed chase on northbound Interstate 43 with speeds reaching more than 100 mph.
Pursuing officers conducted a Pursuit Intervention Technique, ending the vehicle chase in the City of Muskego, in Waukesha County.
Picknell said Davis was transported to the hospital after the crash and died there. Picknell said the two other suspects who were found after fleeing the crash scene were being held in the Waukesha County Jail. Their names are not being released at this time.
Ortiz has been employed full-time by the county since May of 2012. He is assigned to the patrol division and also serves collateral assignments as a Field Training Officer, Pre-Employment Background Investigator, Crash Team Investigator, and Dive Team member.
Staff Writer Kellen Olshefski contributed to this report.
