MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Police say an officer opened fire at a 29-year-old man that he feared was pointing a gun at him.
Assistant Chief Michael Brunson says officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert at around 12:35 a.m. Wednesday near 21st and Concordia. They found a man with some kind of object. The man ran away, and officers chased after him and told him to drop what was in his hand. Police say the man then pointed the weapon at officers, and that's when police shot at him.
It's a sound Henry Randle said he isn't used to hearing in his neighborhood.
"I was laying in the bed and I'm watching TV, and then I hear a whole bunch of shooting [but it's usually] quiet. Everybody's barbecuing, everybody's having fun. So, what happened last night is something out of the ordinary,” Randle said.
"I heard three police cars, I heard the shooting, and I'm like what’s going on," Ronnie Oliver, a neighbor, said.
The 29-year-old man is in stable condition after the shooting. He is expected to recover.
A gun was recovered at the scene, and the suspect was arrested.
Police say the officer who fired shots at the suspect is 31 years old, and has 13 years on the force. He'll be put on administrative duty, which is standard practice for a shooting like this.
A community briefing will take place in 45 days, which is the efforts of Milwaukee Police to promote transparency within the agency and build stronger relationships with Milwaukee residents. The Milwaukee Police Department will release body camera videos of instances like these that involve members of the department. Those videos will provide context to "critical incidents" like this, as well as preliminary information regarding these types of investigations. It's something they made a commitment to back in November of 2018.
