WAUWATOSA — A Milwaukee man is facing nine charges including three counts of attempted homicide after police say heshot and injured three Wauwatosa police officers at a hotel last weekend.
A criminal complaint released Thursday identified the suspect as 33-year-old Kenneth Bernard Burney of Milwaukee.
Authorities have charged him with three counts of Attempt 1st-Degree Intentional Homicide; 1st Degree Reckless Injury; Possess w/Intent-Design.Drugs(>50g); two counts of Possess Firearm-Convicted of a Felony; and two counts of Bail Jumping-Felony.
Wauwatosa police said earlier that the three Tosa police officers are now recovering from their wounds. They responded to the Radisson hotel Saturday night for a report of gunshots. While searching the hotel, police say the man opened fire and hit the three officers. The man was later arrested.
Milwaukee police were called in to investigate the part of the shooting that involved the police officers. In the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police investigators say Tosa police were called to the hotel on North Mayfair Road that night for a report of active shots fired.
People there directed the officers to the second floor of the building, where they found numerous firearm casings and unspent cartridges on the floor of the hallway, the complaint states.
Officers began to clear entry points to the area and found multiple bullet holes on the walls and the ceiling. They then began to search the rooms and check for victims.
After checking five rooms officers arrived at room 221, the complaint states. At the door officers "loudly" identified themselves as law enforcement and knocked on the door. No one came to the door and two keys the officers had did not open the door's lock. The complaint states officers a second time said, “Occupants of 221 please open the door or we are going to have to force entry."
Getting no response the officers began using a ram to open the door. After striking the door five times, multiple gunshots rang out from the room into the officers, according to authorities.
One officer suffered injuries to his hand and thigh, one officer was injured to his thigh and knee, and one officer was injured to his foot.
Following the shooting one man exited the room and was taken into custody, police say. They identified him in the complaint as defendant Kenneth Burney.
Inside the room police say they found two handguns and more than 100 pills containing MDMA, according to the criminal complaint.
If convicted of all the charges, Burney faces life in prison. He attended his preliminary hearing in court on Thursday.
