WAUWATOSA — Protesters marched the streets of Wauwatosa Monday night to demand that suspended officer Joseph Mensah be removed from the force.
This came just hours after the Wauwatosa Police and Fire Commission met to discuss the complaints that were filed by the families of the three people officer Mensah killed in the line of duty.
“This man killed three people within 5 years,” said Tracy Cole.
Frustration boiled over to anger Monday night inside Wauwatosa city hall, particularly for the mother of Alvin Cole.
“Y’all have given this man a pat on the back,” Cole said.
Cole’s 17-year-old son was shot and killed by officer Mensah in the Mayfair Mall parking lot back in February.
She was brought to tears after watching the virtual Police and Fire Commission meeting come to an end after 15 minutes without much action on her complaint.
Cole’s family joins the families of Jay Anderson and Antonio Gonzalez in filing separate complaints with the PFC in an effort to get officer Mensah fired for allegedly violating police policies in the fatal shootings.
“In my opinion, the case has not moved forward very much as all,” city attorney Christopher Smith said during the meeting.
Commissioners put Cole’s complaint on hold because the Milwaukee County District Attorney is still reviewing the case.
The PFC said the Gonzalez complaint is also on hold because its documents do not state which police policy officer Mensah allegedly broke during that shooting.
Kim Motley represents all three families.
“They’re not even trying to show this is a fair and impartial hearing and it’s disgusting,” Motley said.
Motley claims Wauwatosa police haven’t fulfilled all of their open records requests including officer Mensah’s personnel file which family attorneys claim they need to submit Anderson’s official complaint.
