Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Jay Allen Claremboux
Age : 44
Gender : Male
Race : White
Date : 08/15/2023
Location : 33000 block of North Foley Road
City : Morse
County : Ashland
State : Wisconsin
Agency : Ashland County Sheriff's Office; Mellen Police Department
Officer(s) :Jason Janecek
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police during domestic dispute call
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 08/15/2023, at approximately 5:56 p.m., Ashland County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a domestic violence call at a residence in the 33000 block of North Foley Road in the Town of Morse near Mellen. Dispatch information indicated that 44-year-old Jay Allen Claremboux was assaulting two women inside the residence and was armed with a knife. Mellen Police Department officers also responded to assist.
When deputies arrived, they encountered Claremboux outside the residence while he continued advancing toward one of the women with a bladed weapon. Patrol Sergeant Jason Janecek fired his service weapon, striking Claremboux. Deputies immediately provided medical aid until emergency medical personnel arrived, but Claremboux died at the scene. The two women suffered injuries that were described as non-life-threatening and received treatment.
Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation assumed control of the investigation at the request of Ashland County Sheriff Brian Zupke. Investigators processed the scene, interviewed witnesses, collected forensic evidence, and reviewed law-enforcement reports before submitting the case for prosecutorial review.
On 08/28/2023, the Wisconsin Department of Justice identified Patrol Sergeant Jason Janecek as the deputy who fired the fatal shots. Janecek had been employed by the Ashland County Sheriff's Office for approximately 17 years. The sheriff placed him on administrative assignment immediately after the shooting, consistent with department policy, pending completion of the investigation.
Ashland County District Attorney David Meany requested that a special prosecutor review the case because of his office's working relationship with the sheriff's office. Sawyer County District Attorney Nicholas McLain was appointed as special prosecutor. After reviewing the Division of Criminal Investigation file, McLain concluded that Janecek's use of deadly force was legally justified under Wisconsin law and declined to file criminal charges.
