The Milwaukee Police Department has not officially confirmed Heaggan-Brown’s identity, but the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel independently confirmed Heaggan-Brown to be the police officer.
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Threats have been made against the officer even though Milwaukee police have not released his name, and armed Milwaukee police officers are now guarding his home. He is also known as Dominique Heaggan-Brown. Heaggan-Brown became a police aide in 2010 and a police officer in 2013. Authorities have said Smith turned toward the officer with a gun in his hand. Regan said the commission has not received any complaints about him during his career.
When one person replied to one of the threatening posts that the officer was black and cautioned that such threats could lead to an arrest, he was told that although “black lives matter”, the statement doesn’t apply to black police officers. He and another officer were recognized in 2014 for buying a homeless woman dinner at a diner and finding shelter for her on a cold February day.
From what has been reported to date by Police Chief Edward Flynn and Mayor Tom Barrett, Officer Heaggan followed department procedures on Saturday.
“I was aware that he was an officer like most people”, he added.
There was another man with Smith when police stopped them.
While covering the news out of Milwaukee, one network presented a story which some say wasn’t exactly accurate. His sister, Sherelle Smith, spoke to reporters Sunday, calling for peace in the city, saying “don’t bring the violence here and the ignorance here” before suggesting people should take the violence to the suburbs.
Smith’s death sparked three nights of chaos as protesters marched near Sherman Park as police faced off with demonstrators amid sporadic gunfire and firefighters a spate of house and auto fires.
Heaggan-Brown and Smith grew up in the same neighborhood and attended the same high school.
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Two years ago he hit the streets as a sworn officer.
