No charges filed against Caledonia officer for using deadly force

RACINE COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Racine County District Attorney announced Friday, Dec. 6, there will not be charges filed against a Caledonia officer who shot a man to death following a burglary.

A family had been checking on their out-of-town grandmother's house on August 18, to find Jared Nelson inside. The family had no previous interaction with Nelson. The family captured an exchange on a cell phone recording, where Nelson said police had taken their grandmother, and he was inside because people were chasing him.

Police eventually found Nelson to have mental illness and addiction issues, and that he was not taking any medication.

The family called 911, and Nelson eventually got into one of their cars, starting to back out.

Police arrived finding the family appearing "hysterical" and waving their arms in the air before Nelson smashed the stolen car into an SUV.

When Officer Baird reached into the car to take Nelson into custody, Nelson struck Baird in the head, with what Baird believed at the time to be a hairbrush.

Baird then realized Nelson was not holding a hairbrush, but a 7-8 inch meat cleaver. The head wound required 23 stitches to close.

Baird deduced that Nelson was trying to kill him, and when Nelson started walking toward him, Baird fired what ended up being fatal gunshots.

The owners of the home Nelson was accused of breaking into had no comment other than offering their deepest condolences to Nelson's family.