Whitewater man sentenced; 8 years prison for July 2020 crime
Christopher Czerpak
WHITEWATER, Wis. - A Walworth County judge sentenced Christopher Czerpak on Wednesday, May 3 to eight years in prison and an additional eight years of extended supervision in connection with a July 2020 incident in Whitewater.
Czerpak pleaded guilty in December to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, criminal damage to property, and second-degree recklessly endangering safety. Three other charges against Czerpak were dismissed and read into the court record for the purposes of sentencing.
Case details
Walworth County sheriff's officials said on July 20, 2020, Whitewater police were attempting to locate Czerpak, who allegedly made statements to his estranged wife about killing her and himself with a gun.
Early Monday, around 4 a.m., the wife called 911 to report a man had broken into her apartment. While she hid in the basement, the man left -- unsuccessful in locating her. Police investigated and found fresh damage from a break-in at the apartment, along with a live round of ammunition at the scene, sheriff's officials said. The search continued for the then-32-year-old.
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Around 5:30 a.m., deputies and police spotted a man, identified as Czerpak, matching the description of the apartment burglar, and attempted to speak with him. However, sheriff's officials said he ran and "at one point, pointed a handgun at law enforcement officers." Deputies then shot him "in an attempt to stop the imminent deadly threat." Sheriff's officials said a loaded handgun was found in his possession.
Czerpak was immediately treated at the scene and taken to a trauma center.
The deputies involved were placed on administrative duty.