MARINETTE COUNTY (NBC 26) — A Marinette County Sheriff's Office deputy won't face criminal charges for the shooting death of a man in the town of Athelstane last month.
According to a statement from Marinette County District Attorney DeShea D. Morrow, the decision not to charge the deputy came after an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation.
The District Attorney said the shooting happened Nov. 27. The incident started when a woman called 911 to report that her husband's father had pointed a gun at his head and threatened to kill himself. When two Marinette County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived, they first tried to make contact with the suspect, but he eventually drove away.
According to the District Attorney's statement, the suspect drove at unsafe speeds, through people's yards, and eventually returned to the home where he had left. The lead deputy attempted a high-risk traffic stop and yelled at the suspect to show his hands. The District Attorney's statement said the suspect got out of the vehicle with the gun in his hand and made a quick sweeping motion with the gun toward the deputy. The deputy then fired his gun at the suspect. The suspect died from gunshot wounds.
The suspect was identified as Duane Rich, a resident of the town of Wausaukee in Marinette County.
