Man arrested for setting fire to memorial to deputy sheriff in Wisconsin
A Ladysmith, Wisconsin man has been arrested for burning a memorial in Sawyer County.
The Ladysmith Police Department received information regarding the incident while investigating a domestic abuse case.
They learned the suspect had initially set fire to the memorial of Sawyer County Deputy Michael Villiard on June 2.
The memorial is located on State Highway 27/70 near the village of Couderay.
The suspect, a 38-year-old man from Ladysmith, was found in a home in the town of Bass Lake and is currently awaiting a bond hearing in the Sawyer County jail.
He faces charges of arson.
The Sawyer County Sheriff's Office says there are plans to restore the memorial to Villiard.
Villiard died in a rollover crash as he was responding to a call of a non-breathing person in 1998, per the Officer Down Memorial Page.
He was attempting to avoid a head-on collision when he lost control of his cruiser, and was ejected as his vehicle rolled.
