MAUSTON, Wis. — Charges have been filed against a Mauston police officer currently on administrative leave, according to a release by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
The charges stem from an off-duty shooting involving Mauston Sgt. Michael Sturek. The shooting took place on Aug. 26 in Juneau County.
According to a criminal complaint, Sturek and another person had spent the night drinking when they looked at the guns Sturek keeps in a gun safe. Sturek removed one of the weapons and was allegedly clearing it outside when the shooting happened. Sturek told detectives they were “shocked when it went off” since he did not have his finger on the trigger, according to the complaint.
Detectives said Sturek is a firearms instructor. According to the criminal complaint, Sturek told detectives he was not familiar with the weapon involved and hard rarely shot the gun since owning it.
Sturek said he and the other person were standing 3 to 4 feet apart when the gun fired. The bullet went through the groin of the other person and became lodged in their thigh, the complaint said. The person was initially taken to a hospital in Tomah before being transferred to a hospital in La Crosse.
Juneau County detectives interviewed Sturek at the hospital in Tomah. Detectives said they could smell alcohol coming off of Sturek and that he admitted to drinking about a dozen beers.
Detectives also found the gun involved, a spent shell casing and four unspent rounds where the shooting happened. Sturek told detectives he had no idea about the unspent rounds, the complaint said.
The original call about the incident came from Tomah Health Hospital to the Juneau County Sheriff’s Office. Two Juneau County detectives conducted the initial interview with Sturek and provided the information to investigators with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Sturek is one of four officers with the Mauston Police Department currently on paid leave. He faces second-degree recklessly endangering safety, operating a firearm while intoxicated and endearing safety using a dangerous weapon charges. He is due in Juneau County Court for an initial appearance on Oct. 28.
The Mauston Police Department had recently issued a release that indicated that two officers involved in an off-duty incident on Aug. 26 were on leave. However the criminal complaint released on Tuesday did not mention if the person Sturek shot was an officer.
Two other Mauston police officers, who were involved in a bar fight over the summer while off-duty, were also placed on leave this year.
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