Officer cleared in fatal Racine County police shooting

RACINE, Wis. (AP) — A Mount Pleasant police officer will not face criminal charges for fatally shooting an 18-year-old man last June.

Racine County District Attorney Tricia Hanson says Sgt. Eric Giese was acting in self-defense when he shot Ty’Rese West after stopping him for failing to have a light on his bike while riding in the dark.

Several hundred people had gathered outside the Racine County Courthouse Wednesday evening to support the West family. The teen’s mother, Monique West, urged the crowd to vote Hanson out of office. Giese began chasing West and told investigators he believed West was reaching for the gun he had dropped during the foot pursuit when he was shot.

Giese was wearing a body camera, but told investigators he was unable to activate it