Argument ends in Waukesha County shooting; man hurt, woman charged
Nicole Czech
TOWN OF OTTAWA, Wis. - A Waukesha County woman has been criminally charged after prosecutors say she shot at a man during an argument, striking him once in the arm.
70-year-old Nicole Czech faces the following charges for the incident that happened on Feb. 17 in the Town of Ottawa:
- 2nd-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety (With Domestic Abuse Modifier)
- Criminal Damage to Property (With Domestic Abuse Modifier)
- Disorderly Conduct (With Domestic Abuse Modifier)
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Incident details
What we know:
According to the criminal complaint, on Feb. 17, 2025, Waukesha County sheriff's deputies responded to a shots-fired complaint at a home in the Town of Ottawa.
When they arrived, they found a male subject, the victim, yelling for help, holding his left arm while sitting on the porch of a home. Deputies found a small revolver next to him. He was taken to a nearby hospital while deputies secured the firearm, a 22-caliber revolver. There were seven spent shell casings in the cylinder.
The suspect, Nicole Czech, had left the scene in a van. An Eagle police detective later found her driving on State Highway 67, and she was taken into custody, according to the complaint.
Interview with a witness
What we know:
The complaint goes on to state that deputies talked with a witness who got a phone call from Nicole, saying she (Nicole) and the victim were having troubles.
When the witness got there, she said Nicole and the victim were both drinking alcohol and in an intense argument filled with yelling and obscene language. The witness left because the situation made her upset. She then got a call from the victim who said he had been shot and needed help.
Interview with the victim
What they're saying:
The complaint goes on to say that detectives talked with the victim in the hospital, who had been shot once in the left forearm. He told detectives he was still in shock and that he was "in a fog." He did say that he and Nicole had been having ongoing troubles and were arguing that morning.
When asked about the details of the shooting, he said he couldn't recall, but remembered running out of the house barefoot and without a coat to call 911. He said the argument that day was "typical." He remembered getting shot and that he did not have the gun in his hand. He said he saw Nicole come down the stairs into the living room, and he didn't remember seeing a gun in her hand. He said the incident was confusing and that he remembers having the gun in his hand when he shot five to six rounds outside because he didn't want anyone to get a loaded gun. He said he wasn't sure how many rounds he had fired off, but he fired the gun until it clicked and wouldn't fire anymore.
The complaint goes on to state that he ran to a neighbor's house and that nobody was home, so he sat on the stoop. He said he thought Nicole chased him out of the house, and he didn't know he had been shot until he was at the house across the street when he felt pain and knew "something happened." Police say he spoke generally about what happened and said he didn't know how he got shot but said "well I didn't shoot myself."
Previous incident
The backstory:
The complaint further states that the victim discussed a previous incident where Nicole tried to break into a bedroom that he went into in order to avoid arguing. He said Nicole used a hammer to attempt to break down the door. He said he called 911 but hung up, and when the dispatcher called back he said it was an accidental dial.
While executing a search warrant, officers did find a bedroom door with damage that appeared consistent with a hammer striking it, per the complaint.
Interview with the defendant (Nicole Czech)
What they're saying:
The complaint states that detectives interviewed Nicole, who said there was a massive altercation between her and the victim, and that the victim fired the gun at her five times. She said they had been arguing all day and it became physical. She said the victim pushed her and that she took the dog and left.
The complaint goes on to say that when asked, Nicole said the victim fired five shots at her. When asked who had the gun, she answered "both." She said they both struggled for the gun, and that she ran out of the house to her vehicle. She said she heard five gunshots but neither she nor the vehicle were struck. When asked who had the gun first she said she didn't remember. She said the first round went off inside the house and when asked who fired the first shot, she said "both."
The complaint goes on to say she normally carries the gun in her purse, and it is kept in the bedroom. She said she didn't retrieve the gun that day and first saw it in the victim's hands while they were struggling. When asked if the gun was discharged while on the ground, she said she didn't know. She said she fled the scene because she fled for her life. Detectives asked Nicole what the victim said when he shot her, and she said he said, "You (expletive) (expletive)." When asked what he said after he was shot, Nicole said he said, "You (expletive) (expletive), you…I'm shot." She said the victim said "You shot me" but then changed it to "I'm shot."
911 audio
What we know:
Per the complaint, 911 audio was played back to Nicole, with the victim saying he needed medical attention and saying twice that he had been shot by Nicole. Detectives asked if this helped her remember what happened, and Nicole said it didn't. She maintained she didn't know what happened.
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Surveillance video
What we know:
The complaint goes on to state that surveillance video at the home captured some angles of what had happened.
The first video, which covers the driveway, shows the victim walking barefoot to the vehicle and attempting to open the door, but it appeared locked. He then increases his pace to a slow jog as he goes down the driveway. As this is happening, Nicole appears in the garage with a handgun in her right hand. She then switches the gun to her left hand and then pats her right leg as if calling for the dog. Both go out of frame, and then only Nicole returns.
Detectives reviewed another video that shows the lower part of the driveway and part of the neighbor's driveway, which saw the victim quickly going to the neighbor's driveway. Nicole then enters the frame and goes down the driveway towards the victim with the gun in her left hand. They are then both obstructed from view, and then Nicole comes back across the street, pets the dog in the driveway, and then moves out of frame. She does not appear to have the gun anymore.
A third video shows Nicole backing the minivan out of the driveway and leaving just a few minutes before deputies arrived at the scene, per the complaint.
Court proceedings
What's next:
Nicole Czech had her initial appearance in Waukesha County Court on Feb. 19, where cash bond was set at $5,000.
A hearing is scheduled for March 4.
The Source: The Waukesha County District Attorney's Office sent FOX6 the criminal complaint. Court information is publicly available on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website.