NEW BERLIN, Wis. (AP) — Authorities say a man shot by police in the Milwaukee suburb of New Berlin in June has died from his injuries.
The state Department of Justice said that 57-year-old Michael Wolski, of New Berlin, died, the same day Waukesha County prosecutors filed an arrest warrant for him on a charge of first-degree recklessly endangering safety.
The DOJ has previously said that Wolski apparently called 911 on himself to attract police. Authorities said he told dispatchers he saw someone with a long gun in a New Berlin parking lot. Officer Rick Helm was parked nearby and when he went to investigate, Wolski allegedly confronted the officer. That’s when Helm shot Wolski, the DOJ said.
No law enforcement officers were injured, the Journal Sentinel reported.
Helm, who has been in law enforcement for 20 years, has received several policing awards and is a use-of-force and de-escalation instructor, New Berlin Police Chief Jim Hingiss has said. Online and media reports show that 19 years ago Helm fatally shot a Milwaukee man armed with a knife during a standoff. The shooting was ruled justified self-defense.
He is on administrative leave as the investigation continues.
