Pubdate: Thu, 01 Mar 2001
Source: Waukesha Freeman (WI)
Copyright: 2001 The Waukesha Freeman
Address: 801 N. Barstow St., POB 7, Waukesha, WI 53187
Fax: (262) 542-8259
Author: ANNE E. SCHWARTZ - GM Today Staff

INVESTIGATION ON BOTCHED  RAID COMPLETED

Three Drug Unit Officers Reassigned

WAUKESHA - Saying the detail needed in the world of high profile felony 
drug cases wasn't there Feb. 14, Waukesha County Sheriff Bill Kruziki 
announced his investigation into a botched drug raid is completed.

"It boiled down to the fact that nobody did anything intentionally 
reckless," Kruziki said this morning. "It was a matter of somebody cutting 
corners. It was a matter of training and supervision."

The board that oversees the Waukesha County Metro Drug Unit met Wednesday 
and heard the results of an internal investigation conducted by the 
sheriff' s department in the wake of the Valentine's Day incident in Muskego.

Officers from the drug unit conducted a drug search warrant at a Muskego 
home, but after handcuffing a woman while she was face-down in her snowy, 
wet driveway, they discovered they had hit the wrong house.

"When you're doing these kind of high-profile felony cases, you have to 
make sure your T's are crossed and your I's are dotted," Kruziki said. "The 
detail wasn't there for this."The unit's two supervisors, Lt. Charles Wood 
and Capt. Terry Martorano, were reassigned to other duties within the 
department, and Muskego police Officer Eric Nowicki was transferred out of 
the unit.

Replacing the supervisors are Capt. Eric Severson and Lt. Dave LaFond.

"I felt we needed to have a clean slate with some different direction," 
Kruziki said.

There was no disciplinary action taken against any of the officers 
involved, he said.

The residents of the Muskego home where the botched raid occurred were 
unavailable for comment at press time.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom