MILWAUKEE — Robert Walczykowski, 62, was in court Wednesday for the first time after being charged with disorderly conduct.
Walczykowski is the man in a cell phone video that has gone viral, which appears to show him holding the neck of Trevon Burks, 24, who has special needs.
Burks’ family says cognitively, the 24-year-old is at the level of a child.
Burks, his mother and cousin, showed up to Walczykowski’s court appearance. It was the first time Burks and Walczykowski had seen each other since the horrible interaction happened on Oct. 10 near 25th and Becher on Milwaukee’s south side.
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Walczykowski declined to comment as he entered and exited the court. He pleaded not guilty to the disorderly conduct charge.
“I haven’t been able to sleep since this happened,” said Tracey Burks. “My son being choked on Facebook. This has affected my whole family. Trevon can’t even talk about it.”
Burks' family does not believe a disorderly conduct charge is enough.
“An adult man knows what he’s doing,” said Terrill Thomas, Burks' cousin. “He should have known that was wrong. If this situation was reversed, we’d be in jail.”
They believe Burks could have been seriously hurt if it hadn’t been for the man who stopped to intervene, Deangelo Wright. Wright started recording the interaction on his cell phone. In the video, you can hear him telling Walczykowski to let go of Burks’ neck.
“I don’t care if you’re recording,” Walczykowski can be heard saying as he makes an obscene gesture at the camera. “He and his friends stole a bike right out of a friend of mine’s yard.”
In the video, you can hear Burks denying that he stole anything.
According to the criminal complaint, two days after the incident, Tracey Burks turned over two bikes to the Milwaukee Police Department. She told them that she thought they might be stolen and that Trevon might have had something to do with it.
The video of the altercation has been shared thousands of times on social media, prompting protests outside Walczykowski’s home.
Walczykowski’s next court appearance is the week of Thanksgiving. If convicted on the disorderly conduct charge, he could face a maximum of 90 days in prison and a fine of up to $1,000.
