WAUKESHA, Wis. — The fiancé of a man who was shot and killed by Waukesha County Sheriff's Deputies on March 14, 2024, is sharing her piece of the story for the first time.
"Matt did not want to die. We were planning a trip to Disney. He had clothes in the washer," said Jaci Chelstowski as she remembered 39-year-old Matthew Blankman.
Chelstowski is a psych nurse with a decade of experience. She is also the person who called 911 for help when Blankman was experiencing a mental health episode.
Chelstowski is sharing her story with TMJ4 Lighthouse Reporter Ryan Jenkins as she now advocates for more mental health intervention training for police.
Background:
According to a news release from the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office (WCSO), a 911 call came in at around 12:25 p.m. Thursday, March 14 regarding a man outside of a home, firing shots, near Lower Clarks Park Rd, in Eagle.
Shortly after, deputies arrived on the scene where they found the man armed, outside of his home. According to WCSO, one of the deputies felt that his life was in imminent danger, and shot at the man. Life-saving measures were attempted, however, the man was pronounced dead on the scene. No one else was injured.
Watch: Jaci shares her piece of the story of her fiancé Matthew's death for the first time:
The man killed was 39-year-old Matthew Blankman. A dad to a daughter, a "bonus dad" to Chelstowski's son, and a loving partner who loved the lake life.
"He was very like, had a house, went to work, took care of his family, was responsible, didn't have a temper. Very quiet, kind of laid back," said Chelstowski.
Blankman's Struggles with Mental Health
Chelstowski also said Blankman was a man mourning the loss of both his brother and his dad.
At the start of the week leading up to his death, Chelstowski noticed something was not normal.
"I just started noticing things he was saying and I realized he might be having a mental health crisis as the week was starting," she said. "Anxiety, depression, mental health, a lot of people use drugs and alcohol to cope. He was drinking."
Blankman had set an appointment to see a doctor regarding his mental health on that Friday. He died on Thursday after Jackie tried to get him to go to the hospital early amid what she called a "psychotic episode."
When Chelstowski met Blankman to pick him up and take him to the hospital on March 14, he had his gun with him.
"I kept telling him, 'Can you go put the gun back in the house?" she said.
Chelstowski said she never felt scared. Blankman was a man who had lived in Texas and it wasn't unusual for him to bring his weapon places. But, as he went to put the gun inside, she said he began firing off rounds.
"He's the house right on the water so there's nobody really around and he was just shooting at the pier," Chelstowski said while referring to Blankman as a "country boy."
The 911 Call and Authorities Response:
When Chelstowski called 911, she said she was hoping for authorities to come and help de-escalate the situation.
"I must've said 9 times on that 911 call - just please tell the police not to shoot him," said Chelstowski.
Despite all of that communication, Chelstowski said there was less than a minute from the time law enforcement was huddled and making a plan to Blankman being shot and killed. Chelstowski said she was told a deputy felt he had no way to take cover and that Blankman wasn't engaging with authorities.
"The part that's so hard is that I gave them every piece. It's like the perfect storm. You have a highly trained psych nurse and then you're telling them everything they need to know and he's dead in less than a minute? What does that mean for the rest of everybody in the world," she said.
A Call for More Mental Health Intervention Training in Policing:
TMJ4 News has requested reports from law enforcement and a chance to review public records, including recordings of 911 calls and any video or audio recordings available related to this incident.
Chelstowski said she is now an advocate who is pushing for more mental health intervention training in police work.
"This young officer being considered a murderer is not where my heart is. I don't think this kid went there with this intention. But, I feel like they don't get appropriate training," she said about the officer who shot her fiance.
"People view mental health like it's just a crazy person. But, when you work in mental health for so long you realize that's not what it is. It's not "crazy" people and there's a stigma around it. I have this urge inside of me," she said. "I want them to have training."
TMJ4 News will continue to provide updates and perspectives on this shooting as public records are released, as required by law.
The TMJ4 Lighthouse team is also working to learn more about how deputies are trained to respond to emergencies where a person may be experiencing a mental health crisis.
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