Police barricades outside Antigo High School (Photo: WXPR)
The officer responsible for stopping an active shooter targeting a high school prom is back at work.
Officer Andy Hopfensperger fatally shot Jakob Wagner after he opened fire with a rifle outside the Antigo High School prom in late April, injuring two people. After an investigation deemed his use of lethal force justified, the officer is back on active duty this week.
The state Department of Justice on Thursday said a review by Langlade County Special Prosecutor Galen Bayne-Allison determined no criminal charges against Hopfensperger were warranted. The DOJ also released its full report on the incident.
Hopfensperger said, “I’m not a hero, I thank them for calling me that. I did what any officer, deputy, I did what any law enforcement officer would have done in my position and I believe that.”
Hopfensperger was honored at a city council meeting Wednesday night along with the students involved that evening. Months later and back to work, he spoke about his experience and stopping any lives from being lost.
“I reacted the way I was trained to react and I did what I was supposed to do,” Hopfensperger said.
“[Saving lives] has crossed my mind. I guess I don’t think about it too hard. Myself and Officer [Ryan] Bula were in the right place at the right time to prevent a tragedy.”
Contributed by WSAU/WAOW