Plover police blocked off the intersection of Cedar and Easlan while crews investigated the scene of an officer-involved shooting on May 17. (City-Times photo)

By Patrick Lynn

Portage County District Attorney Louis Molepske on Thursday announced his office would not file criminal charges against a sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed an intruder in his Plover home in May.

In a news release this afternoon Molepske said his office had determined Anthony Gischia, a detective with the Portage County Sheriff’s Department, justifiably shot Charles Jameson after he broke into Gischia’s home, poured accelerant throughout the residence, then attacked Gischia with a frying pan.

According a report released Thursday by Molepske’s office, the investigation was independently conducted by the Wisconsin Dept. of Justice.

According to the documents, Gischia and his fiance returned home shortly before 1 AM and witnessed an unknown person, later determined to be Jameson, dressed in black walking through the home. After attempting unsuccessfully to attack Gischia with a kitchen knife, Jameson armed himself with a frying pan and struck Gischia in the head, causing the detective to suffer from blurred vision.

During the attack Gischia identified himself several times as a police officer and ordered Jameson to stop the attack, warning Jameson that he had access to a firearm. Jameson continued striking blows until Gischia was able to retrieve his firearm and fire two shots at the intruder, killing him.

Charles Jameson. (Portage Co. Sheriff’s Office photo)

Gischia’s fiance was not injured during the attack, according to the report.

In his report Molepske said that Jameson’s death was “tragic, and it will affect the families and parties involved forever,” but also said Gischia had acted in accordance with state law.

“It is my legal conclusion that Det. Anthony C. Gischia’s performance of his duties in the capacity of an off duty police officer and as a private citizen acting under the privilege of self-defense on May 17, 2014, did not constitute any criminal wrongdoing,” Molepske wrote.

An autopsy was conducted on Jameson’s body by Dr. Michael Stier of UW-Madison’s Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Cause of death is listed as a homicide, with the manner of death being “homicidal event by gunshot”.  A toxicology report of Jameson’s blood revealed high levels of Alprazolam, a benzodiazephine along with analgesics and Quetiapine, an antipsychotic.

Jameson was 30 years old. No motive for the attack has been released.