Franklin City Neighbors

Village of West Milwaukee Pays For Sheriff's Mistake

Jul 23, 2002

Village to pay $700,000 settlement

By TOM KERTSCHER
of the Journal Sentinel staff
Last Updated: Feb. 6, 2002
The Village of West Milwaukee has agreed to pay $700,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a 20-year-old woman who was shot after a tactical unit burst into her home looking for drugs.

The woman, Jacqueline Paasch, who now lives on Milwaukee's northwest side, said the wound through her left calf has limited the use of her toes and requires her to wear a brace on long walks. Although officials admitted no fault in reaching the settlement, "in a way I feel like they are apologizing" by making the payment, she said.

A 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the raid, but no charges were ever filed.

West Milwaukee police obtained a search warrant after receiving an anonymous tip about possible drug activity at a home in the 1700 block of S. 54th St., and then finding marijuana seeds in a garbage receptacle near the home. No warrant is needed for a garbage search.

West Milwaukee police asked the tactical unit of the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department to conduct the search, which was done about 6:30 a.m. on April 7, 2000. Deputy Scott Mathis shot Paasch in a second-floor bedroom.

Paasch said in an interview that she was getting out of bed after hearing a commotion in the stairway when she was shot.

Paasch's attorney, Mark Thomsen, said the settlement "reflects the reality that the county could not reasonably justify the shooting."

Mathis said he fired the shot because he believed Paasch had a weapon and felt he was in imminent danger, though no weapon was found, according to attorney Gregg Heidenreich.

Heidenreich represented the village and the county in the Milwaukee County Circuit Court lawsuit. He said the village was paying the settlement, using insurance coverage, because the deputy was in effect acting as a village employee during the raid. Heidenreich said the district attorney's office ruled the shooting was justified and he noted that no disciplinary action was taken against the deputy.

Appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Feb. 7, 2002.