Waukesha County shooting; woman gets probation after no-contest plea
Nicole Czech
TOWN OF OTTAWA, Wis. - A woman accused of shooting her husband during a domestic dispute in the Town of Ottawa will serve probation after entering no-contest pleas in Waukesha County court.
What we know:
The state filed amended information, which the court allowed. Czech then entered pleas of no contest to second-degree recklessly endangering safety and criminal damage to property, both as domestic abuse offenses. The judge found her guilty on both counts.
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On the felony count, the court imposed a six-month jail sentence but stayed it, ordering 12 months of probation instead. Conditions include absolute sobriety, random testing, maintaining employment or schooling, continuing any treatment, and having no violent contact with the victim.
She also may not possess dangerous weapons and must provide a DNA sample if she has not already done so.
The backstory:
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, 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.
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.
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."
Argument ends in Waukesha County shooting; man hurt, woman charged
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.
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.
Dig deeper:
The court set restitution for a later hearing. Czech was ordered to pay $243 in costs along with a $200 DNA surcharge and a $100 domestic violence surcharge.
Any unpaid amounts could become a civil judgment.
As part of probation, the court authorized up to 20 days in jail with Huber release at an agent’s discretion, without needing further court approval.
On the misdemeanor count, the judge imposed and stayed a 20-month jail sentence and placed Czech on another 12 months of probation under the same terms. She received three days of sentence credit on that count.
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The judge did not order the firearm forfeited, citing reasons stated in court.
What's next:
A restitution hearing is scheduled for March 25. The state must submit supporting documents by March 13.
Czech was advised of her appeal rights.
The Source: Information in this report is from the Waukesha County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.