- Recently released video shows the deadly shooting of a wanted felon in a gas station in Neenah on August 2.
- Review of the video and a report of the investigation of the incident raised questions about public safety and the safety of the clerk who was working inside at the time.
- We reached out and heard back from a source close to the investigation with an answer about why the "open-air" arrest attempt occurred inside.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Questions arose – after the video was released – about why this Winnebago County MEG unit entered a gas station on Commercial Street to arrest a wanted felon when there was still a clerk inside.
I'm Darby McCarthy, and I reached out to four law enforcement agencies, and use-of-force experts, to seek answers.
Recently released surveillance and body cam video from a deadly shooting in August show the intense moments leading up to the death of 37-year-old Nathan J. Briese of Neenah – a wanted felon.
Briese was the suspect in an investigation by undercover officers working for the Winnebago County MEG unit.
MEG stands for Metropolitan Enforcement Group, a collection of investigators from local law enforcement agencies within Outagamie, Winnebago, Fond du Lac, and Calumet counties that specialize in drug-related crime.
According to the investigative report conducted by the Sheboygan County Sheriff's Department, undercover officers with the MEG unit had performed a “controlled purchase” of what they believed was methamphetamine from Briese the day that he died.
While we now have answers about the moments before Briese was killed, a closer look at the investigative report left us with questions about the consideration for public safety, and specifically, the safety of this Mobil gas station worker who was present at the time of the shooting.
The report states that the intention was to arrest Briese in an "open-air" situation. So, we wanted to know why police attempted to arrest him inside the store.
A source close to the investigation told me that the term "open-air" was used in this case to mean that officers needed to get Briese away from the vehicle where they knew there had been a firearm.
According to this source, officers did not know that Briese also carried a firearm in his waistband.
We have yet to hear from the Appleton Police Department or the Winnebago County Sheriff regarding the MEG unit's decision to attempt a high-risk arrest in the gas station. Still, the Wisconsin Department of Justice shared this statement:
“The foremost concern and reason for all law enforcement action is the safety of the community. Every live operation is dependent on the actions of the target, and law enforcement modify plans based on those actions. Wisconsin Department of Justice does not comment on specific investigative tactics.”
In Sheboygan County, Darby McCarthy. NBC 26.
