Dodge County Sheriff Says Time And Thought Goes Into Press Releases

(Beaver Dam) Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt says a lot of time and thought goes into the wording of the press releases his office publishes. The sheriff’s comments come after a release last Sunday, that stated authorities responded to (quote) “a report” of a person who had been accidentally shot in the chest. During a recent appearance on WBEV’s Community Comment, Schmidt said word selection is important when releasing information to the public. He says this incident was reported to authorities as an accidental shooting which does not necessarily mean that is what happened.  

Schmidt says it is important for every release to be proof-read and critiqued before it is sent out. He says he was in Fargo, North Dakota when the incident happened and was contacted by the chief deputy and the two worked on the release, making a few tweaks to it before sending it out. Schmidt says it is important to make sure the information is released in the right way, because he notes that it has occurred in the past where one word is missing and the release can be twisted. 

Schmidt says while he cannot comment on the case as it is still under investigation, he did note that every incident is investigated as if there is a criminal element involved due to evidence collection. 

Schmidt did say that the person who was struck by the bullet is at home recovering.