No charges in Caledonia officer-involved shooting

No charges will be filed against a Caledonia police officer who fatally shot a man who struck him with a meat cleaver, Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hansen has ruled.

Investigators said Jared Roy Nelson, 38, was mentally ill but was not taking any medications to deal with his condition, Hansen said in a letter to Caledonia Police Chief Daniel Reilly.

According to the letter dated Nov. 25:

Nelson, 38, was shot Aug. 18 outside a home in the 4800 block of Crystal Springs Drive. Nelson did not live in the home and was discovered inside the residence by relatives of the homeowner who went to check on the property. 

Nelson attempted to drive off in the homeowner's car but crashed into another vehicle in the driveway.

Officer David Baird confronted Nelson, who struck Baird in the head with the meat cleaver before the officer shot him.

Baird suffered a serous head injury that required 23 stitches," according to Hansen.

"Officer Baird was well within his right to respond with deadly force in order to protect himself from serious harm or potentially death," Hansen wrote.

Nelson had been behaving erratically in the days before the shooting, including yelling at workers in a church food pantry, according to Hansen's letter.

He had also been found inside another building at S14W 28167 Madison Street where a wedding was taking place.

A caller told police Nelson was not a wedding guest and that Nelson said he had nowhere to go and had not slept for three days.