La Crosse’s mayor supports police involved in shooting

Investigation involving shooting of carjacking suspect continues

With the investigation continuing into the police involved shooting death in La Crosse this week, the mayor expressed his support.

Mayor Tim Kabat says he feels certain that two officers did what they needed to do when confronting Roger Burzinski, who stole a car on the south side Sunday evening before being shot and killed by police.

Kabat said history tells him that.

“I think it’s been demonstrated in numerous examples where they’ve used as much restraint and as much understanding, in very difficult situations, as they possibly could,” Kabat said. “I have no doubt that they utilized that same professionalism and thought processes as this was unfolding and it’s just unfortunate how it ended up.”

Officers Stephen Hughes and Andrew Adey were identified by the department as those involved in the fatal shooting of Burzinski. The 54-year-old La Crosse man stole a car with a 1-year-old girl inside, led police on a chase and crashed the car before being shot and killed. Police say he had a gun.

The officers have been placed on administrative leave while the state investigation into the shooting death of Burzinski continues.

“It’s still under review and investigation but, by all accounts, they did what they could and had to do to try and keep that 1-year-old safe,” Kabat said. 

This is the first death resulting from a police shooting in La Crosse since 1935.