Police shooting in Milwaukee leaves one dead outside RNC security zone

Five Columbus, Ohio, police officers shot and killed a man west of downtown Milwaukee early Tuesday afternoon, three law enforcement sources told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The man died from his injuries, sources said.

The shooting occurred near the corner of North 14th and West Vliet streets, less than a mile from the Republican National Convention security perimeter, according to law enforcement sources, who declined to be named because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the ongoing investigation.

The Milwaukee County Coroner’s Office confirmed that an adult male was killed at this location and responded.

According to sources, no Milwaukee police officers were involved.

Brian Steel, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capitol City Lodge No. 9, also confirmed that Columbus police were involved in a shooting in Milwaukee. Steel said no Columbus police officers were injured in the incident.

In a statement, the Columbus Police Department said that “the incident occurred within the outer perimeter of the RNC, within the operational zone to which our officers were assigned.” The department referred further questions to Milwaukee Police, who are expected to hold a press conference later Tuesday.

Police have cordoned off several blocks of the area near King Park.

Two people, Christina Kugler and Mark Walker, said they saw the shooting while the man was on the street.

Emmanuel King, 31, said he and a few others were in King Park shortly after 1 p.m., smoking cigarettes and listening to music, when they saw a group of about 15 police officers on bicycles. Around the same time, King saw two men fighting on 14th Street and told them to stop because police were nearby.

King said officers were trying to break up the fight when the shooting occurred.

The man killed was well known in the neighborhood, several witnesses told the Journal Sentinel.

He lived in one of the tent camps, was known by the nickname “Jehovah” and was caring for a pit bull, they said. Police could be seen taking the dog out of the camp at around 2:30 a.m. and putting him in a MADACC van.

Shelly Sarasin, co-founder and director of Street Angels, said her aid group travels to the area every Monday with a mobile shower unit.

Jehovah began using the Street Angels shower in April and used it yesterday, she said.

As he walked away, he kept saying, “I love you guys,” Sarasin said.

“We may be the last people he said that to,” she said.

Sarasin said the death would impact the approximately 70 homeless people living in tents between 13th and 14th streets.

“He was a human being. He was a human being,” she said, visibly shaken by the shooting. “This is another trauma for those who knew him and still live here.”

More than 100 officers on bicycles, horses and on foot were on site. A van with the city of Columbus’s name on it was parked nearby.

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm was on the scene. He or a senior deputy usually attends the scene in person when police are involved in shootings.

Representatives of Milwaukee police and federal authorities did not immediately respond to questions.

Aurelia Ceja of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression was on site after the shooting and criticized the involvement of police officers from other states.

Vaun Mayes, a prominent community activist, said he was concerned about the plan to bring in non-Milwaukee “red state” police officers who may not be familiar with Milwaukee communities. He doesn’t think the shooting would have happened if it had been Milwaukee police officers. Mayes knows the neighborhood through his work and dealing with the homeless population. He has successfully deescalated fights in the area, he said.

Thousands of police officers in Milwaukee at the RNC

Before the meeting, Milwaukee officials estimated that about 4,000 officers from out-of-town law enforcement agencies would participate in police operations in the city this week.

Milwaukee police have said they want to assign outside officers to positions that do not involve contact with the public – such as traffic enforcement – while Milwaukee officers would primarily interact with members of the community. Under the mutual aid agreement, any tasks assigned to outside officers should include at least one Milwaukee police officer.

Outside city officers providing mutual aid to the RNC must follow Milwaukee Police Department standard procedures regarding use of force, crowd control, and rules of engagement.

According to an agreement signed by the partner authorities, all disciplinary matters arising with an external official are referred to the home authority.

If the matter is determined to be a crime, it will be referred directly to the MPD or an outside law enforcement agency for investigation “after appropriate notification to the contractor,” according to the agreement.

Under the agreement, officers from other jurisdictions will follow their home departments’ policies on body cameras. Columbus police use body cameras. It was not immediately known whether the officer involved in the shooting had a body camera.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, Tuesday’s shooting in Milwaukee was the eighth time this year that Columbus police have shot someone.

Several dozen Columbus officers, including the police dialogue team, as well as officers from other cities across the country are in Milwaukee to assist with security.

Multiple sources told The Dispatch that dialogue officers – who are trained to exercise people’s rights to demonstrate and deescalate situations – were not involved in the shooting.

Milwaukee homeless shelter expands services for RNC

Father Mike Bertram, director of Capuchin Community Services, which hosts St. Ben’s Community Meal, an evening meal for the homeless and hungry, knew Jehovah by a different name.

St. Ben’s expanded its services this week and is now open as a day and night shelter to provide a safe, cool place for the homeless as the Republican National Convention may displace some people from their usual places.

Last night, the shelter was nearly full with 40 men, Bertram said. People said they were longing and grateful for a safe place to rest, he said.

Before the RNC, Bertram publicly offered that St. Ben’s staff would defuse conflicts between homeless people and police near the security perimeter, and in light of the shooting, he hopes more officers will step forward when intervention is needed.

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