A Milwaukee police officer abruptly resigned this month after TMJ4's Lighthouse investigative team began asking questions about why he remained off the Brady List for two years following a drunk driving arrest in Illinois. The delayed disclosure forced the District Attorney’s office to take action.
Former Officer Christopher De La Vega was arrested in April 2023 for driving under the influence and reckless driving in Wheaton, Illinois, while off-duty. Body camera footage shows De La Vega swerving around vehicles into oncoming traffic and driving 75 mph in a 35 mph zone.
During the traffic stop, De La Vega repeatedly denied drinking alcohol despite officers detecting the smell of alcohol on his breath. He asked the arresting officer if he would turn off his body camera, and failed eight breathalyzer attempts before being arrested.
"You're already being deceptive with me by saying you haven't had anything to drink, right?" the arresting officer said during the stop.
Milwaukee Police Department records show De La Vega was suspended the day after his arrest, and an internal investigation was launched immediately. Internal documents reveal De La Vega later admitted to his own department that he "consumed a beer and a couple of cocktails with tequila."
Watch: Milwaukee police officer resigns, Brady List investigation reveals two-year delay:
De La Vega pleaded guilty to reckless driving months later. The drunk driving charge was dismissed, and he was sentenced to community service and alcohol counseling.
The Brady List tracks officers with credibility concerns due to past crimes, untruthfulness, or other integrity issues. This information must be disclosed to defense attorneys if that officer serves as a witness in their cases.
Despite his conviction, De La Vega wasn't added to Milwaukee County's Brady List until 2025 — two years after his arrest. He was among 13 officers added to the list last year.
"My mind immediately wonders how many proceedings did this officer speak or testify in during that two-year interval?" said criminal defense attorney Caitlin Firer.
Firer said the delay was unacceptable given the clear evidence.
"It's caught on video, and there is a conviction. I think this is a case where it should have been more immediate," Firer said.
Milwaukee County District Attorney Kent Lovern said MPD failed to notify his office until last year.
"We want the process to work as perfectly as possible, and on occasion it doesn't, and when it doesn't, we have to address it," Lovern said.
Lovern's office says it had to notify 6 defendants and their attorneys in April 2025 about De La Vega's Brady violation in every criminal case he witnessed going back to 2023.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman defended his department's handling of the situation.
"I wouldn't say it was a mistake," Norman said. "I know there are challenges in regards to ensuring that we have the quickness in regard to giving these notices, but there is again, a large department with a number of different investigations, and so there is a challenge of making things as quickly as they should be."
The State Public Defender's office criticized the delay.
"It is not up to the police department to decide when someone should be on the Brady list. It is up to the DA; it's their ethical obligation. It is their duty to disclose this to the defense so that we can then question it, we can bring it in front of the court," said Angel Johnson from the State Public Defender's office.
De La Vega declined an interview request but told TMJ4 over the phone that his decision to resign was not related to being placed on the Brady List or this investigation. He said he quit for personal reasons.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
If you want to see the former Officer Bustos and the other 190 current and former officers on Milwaukee County’s Brady list, our database in partnership with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Wisconsin Watch can be found below.
See all Duty to Disclose stories as they are posted here.
The Brady list is a compilation of current or former law enforcement officers deemed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office to have credibility issues. The underlying allegation can range from lying on exams to violent crimes. Just because an officer is on the list does not mean he or she was necessarily convicted or charged with a crime, or found guilty of internal misconduct. According to the office of District Attorney Kent Lovern, some cases may have resulted in an acquittal, been dismissed, or were amended to non-criminal offenses. The office says, "the database is accurate to the best of our knowledge as of February 27, 2025."
About this project
“Duty to Disclose” is a joint investigation by TMJ4, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Wisconsin Watch. The collaboration was prompted by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s decision in 2024 to release its “Brady List,” a closely-guarded list of law enforcement officers with alleged credibility issues, after pressure from the news organizations.
TMJ4 Lighthouse reporter Ben Jordan, Journal Sentinel investigative reporter Ashley Luthern and Wisconsin Watch investigative reporter Mario Koran spent four months verifying the hundreds of officers on the list, discovering that it is frequently incomplete and inconsistent.
Readers with tips about the Brady List are encouraged to contact reporter Ben Jordan at ben.jordan@tmj4.com.
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