Rock County DA: Beloit officer who shot, killed man who stabbed woman 'acted lawfully'

BELOIT, Wis. -- A Beloit police officer who shot and killed a man who stabbed a woman earlier this year acted lawfully, Rock County District Attorney David J. O’Leary said Tuesday.

Officer Cole Gille shot and killed 54-year-old Gregory Tracy on May 16 at around 3:26 p.m. at a home in the 2000 block of Frederick Street. O'Leary said Tracy had used two knives to stab his girlfriend.

When officers arrived at the scene, they spoke to Tracy through a screen door. While officers were speaking to him, his girlfriend was able to escape the home through a bedroom door.

O'Leary said the woman had to be helped by officers to an ambulance and had roughly 40 stab wounds on her torso and arms. When asked who stabbed her, she allegedly replied with Tracy's name.

Officers asked Tracy multiple times to drop the knives but he refused. According to O'Leary, Tracy claimed that his two young grandchildren were in the home and pointed the knives at officers.

A less-lethal round of ammunition was used in an attempt to stun Tracy and arrest him, however Tracy stood back up after getting hit before officers could even open the door to the home.

The officers then asked Tracy where the children were and he allegedly responded "I've got one right here" and moved away from the door. At that point, Gille fired three shots, hitting Tracy three times. Tracy was pronounced dead at the scene.

A search of the home found that no children were inside.

"The District Attorney has concluded that Officer Gille acted lawfully and in accordance with his duty as a sworn law enforcement officer," O'Leary said. "Officer Gille acted in order to protect the lives of the children he believed to be in danger from Tracy, based on Tracy’s statements and actions."

The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) was in charge of investigating the shooting and turned over its findings to O'Leary's office. After reviewing the DCI's findings, O'Leary determined that Gille will not be charged in Tracy's death.

In a statement Tuesday, Beloit Police Chief Andre Sayles said he had full confidence in the findings of the investigation and that Gille followed his training and department policies.

"Officer Gille’s actions were in response to a situation where his life, and the lives of others, were in imminent danger," Sayles said. "He made a split-second decision in a highly volatile situation, a decision no officer wants to make but is trained to when faced with such circumstances."

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