This document is a two-page email exchange dated March 29, 2024, filed as Exhibit 27-9 in Cuypers v. Taylor et al., Case No. 3:24-cv-00743. The correspondence documents communication between Paul Winterscheidt, Chief of Police for the City of Superior, and Maria Lockwood, a reporter with the Superior Telegram, regarding a police traffic stop that occurred on February 28, 2024.
The exchange begins with Reporter Maria Lockwood reaching out to Chief Winterscheidt with questions about a specific traffic stop on the 2000 block of John Avenue, identified as incident number 24SP02834. Lockwood notes that the stop involved four officers and one sergeant and that a Taser was deployed on the driver, identified as Ian Cuypers. She requests a meeting to discuss the incident further, indicating journalistic inquiry into police conduct.
Chief Winterscheidt responds promptly and agrees to meet with the reporter in person. He suggests sitting down after the holiday weekend and states that he will bring the state training manual for high-risk traffic stops as a reference during the discussion. The emails show coordination of timing, with Lockwood noting a court obligation earlier that morning before stopping by to meet with the chief.
From a government accountability and transparency perspective, this document is significant because it demonstrates direct engagement between law enforcement leadership and the press following a controversial use-of-force incident. The willingness of the police chief to meet with a reporter and reference official training materials illustrates how public-facing narratives are managed after incidents that draw scrutiny. The email chain does not include the substance of the discussion itself, but it establishes that the incident involving Ian Cuypers had attracted media attention and was being addressed through both journalistic inquiry and official response, later becoming part of the federal court record.
- Superior Telegram – Local journalism and public records reporting
https://www.superiortelegram.com - City of Superior, Wisconsin – Official city website
https://www.superiorwi.gov - Wisconsin Department of Justice – Law enforcement standards and oversight
https://www.doj.state.wi.us