MILWAUKEE, Wi — The Milwaukee Medical Examiner has identified the man shot and killed by an officer Tuesday night near 37th and Wright Street as 23-year-old Printis Smith.
Officers attempted to stop a car Smith was in because it matched the description of a vehicle used in a shooting in Glendale. The driver fled, leading to a foot chase involving 2 suspects. One suspect escaped. Smith exchanged gunfire with a Milwaukee Police Department officer, was shot, and killed. The officer was shot and injured and later released from the hospital. Police recovered multiple firearms on Smith.
"I heard a lot of like chasing, you hear the sirens, you hear the switching of the wheels," said Cheri Fuqua.
She has lived in the area for years and has worked as a community organizer. She said the chase continued for several minutes before shots were fired.
"It's heavy." Fuqua said. "It's disturbing."
For hours, the only lights in the neighborhood were flashing blue and red.
As a community organizer, Fuqua has worked to reduce violence in the Metcalfe and Sherman Park neighborhoods. She said the area had recently seen a period of relative calm.
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"In the area, once upon a time, gunshots were like a background noise. But it's been so calm around here lately that now you here the shots. And so it was startling to be that close in the vicinity," Fuqua said.
MPD data shows both homicides and non-fatal shootings dipped in the Metcalfe and Sherman Park neighborhoods between 2024 and 2025. Statistics from the Medical College of Wisconsin show that trend is consistent throughout the city since 2022.
Across the street from where Fuqua lives is Unity Orchard Park, which has served as a place of peace in the neighborhood for over a decade. On Tuesday night, it was taped off as part of the officer-involved shooting investigation.
"When you see something like that it takes you back, and just to me as an organizer an individual that works in the community, it just lets me know that I just need to go even harder just to keep our youth busy with something to do in the community," Fuqua said.
Milwaukee police said they are still searching for the second suspect but did not provide a description.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones 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.
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