Two-time Lincoln County Deputy of the Year Sam Steckbauer is the deputy who shot and killed a 40-year-old Wausau man last Monday, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
An earlier sheriff’s office statement suggested Steckbauer fired his weapon in self-defense, killing 40-year-old Shawn Igers on the night of Feb. 27 on a rural stretch of County Highway FF, southwest of Merrill.
Steckbauer responded to a report of a vehicle in a ditch, when the deputy arrived, Igers shot at the deputy and the deputy returned fire, killing him, according to the sheriff’s office.
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Igers had several felony and misdemeanor convictions in Marathon County dating back to 1994, including burglary, forgery, and possessing a firearm as a felon, according to online court records.
But Igers was also successful and well-liked.
He was a student at University of Wisconsin-Marathon County in Wausau where he was a former editor of the college newspaper, served on student governance committees, received scholarships and awards, and was the Spring 2016 commencement speaker, said Jayant Anand, UW-Marathon County campus administrator.
In a news release, Sheriff Jeff Jaeger said that as standard procedure, Steckbauer has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Steckbauer has been a deputy in the county since 2010.
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