Appleton Officer Will Not Face Charges In Last Month’s Shooting

Man Killed By Appleton Officer Accidentally Hit By Gunfire

Police tape
Justin McGregor (CC-BY-NC-ND)

Investigators say the man fatally shot by a police officer in an Appleton bar last month was accidentally struck by gunfire.

Outagamie County District Attorney Carrie said Lt. Jay Steinke acted appropriately given the threat and will not face any charges.

Schneider said Friday Jimmie Sanders was an innocent bystander in Jack’s Apple Pub when Steinke fired four gunshots. Steinke was responding to a report of gunfire inside the bar during a fight.

Stay informed on the latest news

Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


Patty Murray/WPR

Schneider says Steinke shot the man with the gun, Henry Nellum, but that gunfire also struck Sanders.

Schneider described Sanders as a “victim” who was fleeing a fight between two other men: Nellum and Leander Moffitt.

“Mr. Sanders did not know Mr. Nellum. Mr. Sanders did not know Mr. Moffitt,” Schneider said. “Mr. Sanders went into the bar with two other individuals, two females, that night and was just there, a bystander like many other people.”

In addition to the initial charges against Nellum, Schneider says he’s also being charged with felony murder in Sanders’ death. The DA says the law allows for such a charge when a death occurs while a person is committing a felony offense.

The Sander’s family attorney said he will pursue federal charges against the Appleton Police Department in the case.

Milwaukee attorney Daniel Storm is representing Sanders’ family including his sister Christina Thomas who wants action taken against Steinke.

“They want society to believe that this cop did his job? You’re a veteran and you went in and shot him in the face? He was shot twice. If he was innocent that’s not doing your job,” Thomas said.