Following a night of violence that left half a dozen businesses in flames, the Milwaukee police chief expressed surprise at the level of unrest that erupted after the fatal shooting of a black man by a black officer.
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The police officer, whose identity was reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel but could not be confirmed by FoxNews.com, is reportedly a 24-year-old patrolman who went to high school with Sylville Smith, who was allegedly holding a gun and ignored orders to drop it when he was shot.
On Tuesday, the department acknowledged the “disturbing national trend”, where social media users identify officers involved in fatal shootings and threaten them and their families. A spokesman for the department did not confirm the identify of the individual being circulated online. The police department might also have hesitated to give the officer’s race sooner for fear it would identify him, Klinger said.
Smith, 23, was shot and killed Saturday after a brief foot chase that followed a traffic stop. The mayor and police chief say body-camera video shows Smith had the gun in hand and had turned toward the officer when he was shot. Wisconsin governor Scott Walker declared a state of emergency for the county Sunday afternoon. In addition to the shooting, city police said on Twitter Monday morning that four officers were injured, 14 people were arrested, 30 shots were fired and three squad cars were damaged overnight. Republican nominee Donald Trump will visit and participate in a previously scheduled televised town hall meeting with Fox News host Sean Hannity, raising the possibility of protests similar to those that have followed the candidate elsewhere during the campaign.
Monday was calm, though 10 people were arrested.
Another officer’s “riot helmet received a graze wound to the back of it, probably from a firearm”, Mr Flynn said, adding that the officer had not suffered serious injuries.
Police prepare to close a park in Milwaukee, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Police said the man was fleeing a traffic stop but released few other details. Only one shot was sacked overnight, far less than the previous two nights.
Several people who shared the same photo of Heaggan in uniform and standing in front of a squad vehicle, shared stories of interacting with him in the neighborhood, according to the Journal Sentinel.
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Peaceful demonstrations in the Sherman Park area where Smith died turned into violent protests on Saturday and Sunday nights. The violence continued, to a lesser degree, on Sunday night.
