Posted: 11/27/07
Former SWAT leader killed in Iraq
 Juneau was employed by the Chisago County Sheriff's Office from June of 2002 to June of 2006. |
By Patrick Tepoorten
A former Chisago County Sheriff's deputy who specialized in training other officers, was killed in Iraq Monday morning. He was there to train Iraqi police officers.
William (Bill) Lawrence Juneau, 36, Rush City, who, along with his duties as a Sheriff's deputy, was the primary commander of the county's SWAT team before he resigned from the force, was killed in action southeast of Baghdad at 8:07 central standard time, Monday morning.
Juneau was on his second tour as a private security contractor for DynCorp, and according to a press release from DynCorp, "was assigned to the Civilian Police Advisory Training Team (CPATT), the component of the U.S. military Multinational Security Transition Command - Iraq (MNSTC-I) responsible for the U.S.-led effort to train and equip the 135,000-member Iraqi police service."
At "Juneau's World," Bill Juneau blogged about his experiences in Iraq.
Also according to DynCorp, Juneau's injuries were sustained when a convoy he was traveling with was struck by an improvised explosive device at 2:35 local Baghdad time. Juneau later died of his injuries at the 86th Combat Support Hospital.
A spokesperson for DynCorp, Gregory Lagana, said Juneau was driving the lead vehicle in a large convoy that included U.S. Army personnel as well as members of the Iraqi National Police Force. The convoy was headed for a scheduled training mission. An Iraqi translator and a U.S. Army soldier sustained injuries in the blast as well.
In addition to serving as a Chisago County Deputy from June of 2002 to June 2006, Juneau had been an investigator for the Pine County Sheriff's Office and an officer with the St. James Police Department.
Sheriff Todd Rivard said Juneau was a good man and police officer. "He was a good investigator and a good cop. One of those guys who was very knowledgeable about the law."
Rivard did not know if Juneau had any plans to return to the department after his service in Iraq, but had been invited to do so.
Juneau was featured in a March 8, 2006 Post Review article about the Chisago County SWAT team, which he helped put together and train.
At the time, Juneau emphasized the importance of a properly trained police force in keeping not only residents, but officers and suspects as safe as possible. "When officers are trained to deal with ... situations, and have modern equipment and tactics, a much higher degree of these situations are resolved without injuries," he said at the time.
DynCorp president and CEO Herbert J. Lanesse said of Juneau, "He was an unselfish and courageous young man who left his home to serve his country to train police in Iraq. He was performing a vital service for our country and for the Iraqi people under very difficult circumstances, and we remain honored to have had him serve with us."
No information regarding services for Juneau were available at press time.
Comment from Chris Anderson, 11/28/07
As a former prosecutor in Chisago County I worked with Deputy Juneau between 2002 and 2004. He put himself on the line in Chisago, and for that I wish I could have thanked him. To his family and friends I send my prayers. My final thanks go to Bill for trying to give the Iraqis a police system that protects and serves, a system which Americans take for granted. May time heal all wounds.
Comment from Tammy Palmer, 12/3/07
Our prayers go out to Deputy Juneau's family.
We are former residence of Chisago County and my husband just returned from a 15 month delpoyment with the 19th Engineers of of Fort Knox, Our Son PV2 Derek Kenyon will leave for Iraq with the 10th Mountain out of Fort Drum in Febuary. God bless all that serve.
Tammy Mitchell-Palmeri Fort Knox Kentucky
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