Milwaukee police shoot, kill man after misleading negotiation fails

Milwaukee police shot and killed a 22-year-old man amid a standoff on the city’s north side, Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said June 12. 

The incident took place shortly before 11 a.m. in the 8500 block of West Kaul Avenue, just north of West Florist Avenue.

Someone called 911 to report that an armed man was threatening to shoot the caller and police later learned that the man attempted to rob the caller, according to Norman. There was another armed robbery attempt of a vehicle in the 8400 block of West Kaul shortly before the 911 call, Norman said. 

Upon arrival, MPD officers observed the man fleeing the scene holding a revolver, Norman said. 

“The (man) told officers to shoot him as he held a revolver to his own head and threatened to shoot officers,” the chief said. 

The man then retreated into an apartment building and made camp in a second floor hallway when suddenly gunfire was heard, according to Norman. An officer then shot at the man while officers yelled commands to drop the gun, Norman said. 

Norman said police believe no one was struck at that time and a standoff ensued. 

Police negotiated with the man for about an hour before the man agreed to retrieve a bottle of water and cigar from the officers, Norman said.  

But when the man walked downstairs to retrieve the items, Norman said police tased the man and he was apparently unfazed enough to retreat back upstairs where moments later he was shot by officers. 

According to Norman, the man was given medical aid at the scene and then transported to a local hospital where he was declared dead at 12:50 p.m.  

Norman said it’s unclear if the man was armed when he went to retrieve the items, but also said a gun was recovered next to him and no officers were wounded. 

Police have identified the officers involved only by age and years of service. They are a 39-year-old male officer with more than 13 years of service, a 46-year-old male officer with more than 22 years of service, and a 41-year-old male officer with more than 22 years of service. All three officers have been placed on administrative duty as is routine in police shootings. 

An outside agency, the Waukesha Police Department, is leading the ongoing investigation. 

Per department policy, police must make any video from the incident available to the family of the deceased within 48 hours and to the general public in 15 days. 

The deceased will be publicly identified by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office following an autopsy.

Norman wouldn’t answer a reporter who yelled a question at him as he departed if he believed it was a mental health crisis incident.