By: Associated Press//December 29, 2021//
By: Associated Press//December 29, 2021//
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) — An Eau Claire police officer who shot a man to death last month won’t face criminal charges, prosecutors announced on Tuesday.
Eau Claire County District Attorney Peter Rindal said in a news release that Officer Kristopher O’Neill was justified in using deadly force against LeKenneth Miller.
According to the release, someone called 911 on Nov. 3 to report an intruder in their residence. O’Neill and Officer Jason Kaveney arrived to find Miller armed with a knife and that he had stabbed a woman numerous times. Rindal said O’Neill was forced to fire to protect himself and the lives of others.
The district attorney noted that the officers administered life-saving aid to Miller and the woman who had been stabbed. He called their actions “heroic.”
The Eau Claire Police Department is still reviewing the incident for possible policy violations, however.
The stabbing victim is still recovering from her wounds.