APPLETON (WLUK) – A federal lawsuit filed by the estate of man inadvertently shot and killed by an Appleton police officer during a bar fight will be dismissed, a judge said Tuesday, more than eight years after the incident.
Lt. Jay Steinke shot and killed Jimmie Sanders at Jack’s Apple Pub on May 21, 2017. There was a fight at the bar, which Sanders was not a part of. During the incident, Steinke fired, striking Sanders.
After a review, the district attorney cleared Steinke of any criminal charges.
In July 2020, the Sanders estate filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court, accusing Steinke of unreasonable use of force. Steinke’s attorneys assert he is entitled to qualified immunity, discretionary act immunity, and that his conduct was privileged under the law…