MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee family's attorney said Thursday that an officer-involved shooting that killed 26-year-old Elijah Wilkes was justified after reviewing police body camera footage of the incident.
Attorney B'Ivory LaMarr, representing Wilkes' family, said he and the victim's mother, Pamela Bond Slater, watched the video during a meeting with Milwaukee Police Department officials. The shooting occurred Wednesday during a traffic altercation on Mill Road near Interstate 94.
"We will acknowledge that we do believe that this officer involved shooting was justified," LaMarr said during a press conference Thursday.
According to LaMarr's account of the video, Wilkes was driving northbound when he aggressively maneuvered into the left lane around a construction area, cutting off an off-duty police officer's vehicle. The maneuver caused a slight collision between the two vehicles.
Watch the full press conference:
Both drivers pulled over after passing the construction site. Wilkes exited his vehicle and pointed to damage on the front of the officer's car, indicating the officer had hit him.
"What we see next on the video is that Elijah did have a firearm. He does pull it out," LaMarr said.
The video shows Wilkes striking the off-duty officer with the firearm before pointing the weapon at the officer, according to LaMarr. The officer then fired several shots in response.
Wilkes ran toward the front of his vehicle and appeared on the other side, where the officer fired additional shots, LaMarr said.
Police say Wilkes hit the officer in the face with a gun before the two exchanged gunfire. Video obtained by TMJ4 shows the moments after the shooting, with a witness identifying the off-duty officer as a man in a dark shirt who still had his gun drawn.
Flowers now mark the area where Wilkes was shot and killed Thursday morning. People who live and work in the area declined to discuss the incident.
"The loss of any life, you know, we hope, is preventable, but this family stands before you today, acknowledging the officer's actions," LaMarr said.
The attorney said Wilkes likely did not know he was confronting an off-duty police officer during the altercation.
Watch: Milwaukee officer-involved shooting called justified by victim's family attorney
Before seeing the video, Wilkes' stepfather, Cardell Bonslater, questioned the police account, saying it was out of character for his stepson.
"I want to know why did you kill him? Why did you shoot him that many times? What was the reason? A car accident?" Bonslater said.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said the department was able to retrieve footage from the vehicle involved in the incident and asked for patience as the investigation continues.
"This is still early in the investigation. I will say this using firearms in any way to deal with property issues or disagreements is unacceptable," Norman said.
LaMarr praised Milwaukee police for their transparency in the investigation, noting that the family received access to the video within 24 hours under new department procedures that allow families to view footage within 48 hours of an incident.
The family has requested privacy and asked that the video not be released until closer to the statutory 15-day deadline to allow time for grieving and healing.
Norman assured that more information would be released at some point. The investigation remains ongoing.
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