The Dunn County District Attorney has ruled that the officer who shot a woman in Boyceville last November committed no crime in doing so.
Andrea Nodolf reviewed the autopsy results and reports following the Barron County Sheriff’s Department’s investigation of an officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of Boyceville resident Shonda Mikelson on the night of Nov. 14. The D.A. concluded that because he was acting in self defense, the fatal shooting by village Police Officer Samuel J. Miller “while tragic, was justified under the circumstances.”
About the incident
According to Barron County investigator’s analysis, Miller was responding to a domestic disturbance at 469 Main St. in Boyceville, the home of Mikelson and Timothy G. Fern. Following an argument that involved Mikelson shoving him, Fern said he took a shower, but couldn’t find his cell phone in his pants pocket when he got out.
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When questioned, Mikelson claimed she didn’t have his phone, at which point Fern told her he was going to the neighbor’s to call 911. Telling him she was not going to jail again, Fern said Mikelson grabbed a large knife from the kitchen counter and held it up as if she was going to stab him. As he fled, Mikelson grabbed the collar of his shirt, causing it to rip down both sides.
Officer Miller was dispatched to the residence where he had been several times recently in response to domestic dispute calls. Entering with his gun drawn through a glass screen door on the east side of the house, Miller said he identified himself and told her he needed to talk to her.
Mikelson didn’t respond immediately, but soon appeared at the top of the stairway leading up from the door with a rifle in her right hand. She refused to put the rifle down when ordered to by Miller. When he stepped further into the hallway, Mikelson pointed a pistol previously concealed in her left hand and pointed it at the officer. Miller fire one shot at Mikelson, backed up outside and took cover by the rear bumper of a truck.
Miller radio’ed that a shot had been fired and stayed where he was until help arrived. The team entered the house and found Mikelson dead on a landing at the bottom of the stairs from a single gunshot wound to her chest. Next to her head, they found the pistol, which turned out to be a black BB gun designed to look like a semi-automatic pistol. The loaded rifle was located at the bottom of the basement stairs below Mikelson’s body. The responders also found Fern and Mikelson’s infant — unharmed — in a crib.
Other troubles
Barron County detectives found prescriptions for anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications, both of which bore warnings for side effects of impaired thinking and reactions. Fern also told them that Mikelson had been drinking a lot of wine lately. Toxicology results from the autopsy revealed her blood alcohol level to 0.242; the legal limit in Wisconsin is 0.08.
It was also learned that Mikelson had reportedly attempted suicide on Oct. 28, 2014, and was committed to an emergency detention at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire. Earlier in the month, Officer Miller had been called to her residence at least three times for welfare checks on Mikelson and her four children.
Mikelson was also being investigated by Kelly Pollock of the Menomonie Police Department for embezzlement and forgery. She was alleged to have stolen thousands of dollars from Dale Schmitz, her former employer and owner of DKS Construction Services. In addition to paying herself too much, Schmitz claimed Mikelson stole at least $120,000 by using business credit cards and business checks for her personal use.