No charges will be filed against a Kewaunee County deputy who shot and killed a man in August based on evidence that the man charged the law enforcement officers and posed an "immediate threat," Kewaunee County District Attorney Andrew Naze said Tuesday.
New details were revealed in what led up to the shooting of Tyler Whitmire, 22, by Deputy Jamie A. Tlachac on August 21 in the Town of Franklin.
DA Naze also presented previously unseen dash cam video that showed the moment Whitmire was killed after he charged officers - allegedly with a knife in hand.
On August 21, Kewaunee County law enforcement responded to a 911 call along County Road AB, south of State Highway 29, and found Whitmire threatening a woman and nearby people with a knife, according to the Wisconsin DOJ.
The incident started when Whitmire was driving with a female friend and tried to grab the wheel, Kewaunee County DA Andrew Naze said.
He then picked up a hammer in the car and tried to hit the woman, Naze said.
A homeowner who heard them said the friend was yelling, "Help me he's going to kill me."
Whitmire allegedly ran into a nearby home and grabbed a knife.
He then made comments implying he did drugs, telling those at the scene that his wife was "done with him" and he wanted to die, Naze explained.
Multiple law enforcement officers responded to the scene, including:
- Sergeant Dustin E. Smidle, Kewaunee Co. Sheriff's Department
- Deputy Jordan D. Salentine, Kewaunee Co. Sheriff's Department
- Officer Brian D. Gale, Kewaunee Police Department
As law enforcement officers moved across the roadway, dash cam video shows Whitmire charged at Dep. Salentine with the knife overhead.
Dep. Salentine had his duty rifle pointed at Whitmire.
As Whitmire got closer, Dep. Tlachac discharged his duty rifle at Whitmire and he fell to the ground, the video shows.
After Whitmire was shot, law enforcement offered emergency medical treatment, but Whitmire died at the scene, the DOJ said.
None of the officers involved will face any kind of charges.
Whitmire was a Marine who had just gotten married this spring, according to Ann Lucas, his mother-in-law. She told NBC26 in August that he was a loving husband who was not violent and not a drug user.
His family told investigators this was extremely out of character for him and they are asking for privacy during this time.
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