Unborn child killed, two teenagers shot by police on Milwaukee highway

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

0 5 minutes read

Milwaukee police shot an 18-year-old pregnant woman, killing her unborn child, on Interstate 43 Thursday after a chase, while the pursuing vehicle was being sought in connection with two recent carjacking incidents armed robbery in the city center.

Another teen, a 17-year-old boy, was shot and wounded, Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference. It's unclear whether any of the occupants of the suspect vehicle fired at the officers, Norman said, but a gun was found inside the vehicle.

Norman said the police shooting happened around 2:30 p.m. on I-43 near West Vienna Avenue. After the suspect vehicle fled a traffic stop at North 17th and West Vliet streets, the driver entered a construction zone on the highway where several workers were located and was blocked by construction work and a construction truck. cement. » Norman said.

The driver used the suspect vehicle to back into a police car and, after moving forward, backed the vehicle again, narrowly missing hitting an officer who was standing nearby, Norman said. When that happened, another officer fired his weapon, striking two teenagers inside the vehicle, Norman said.

Six people were in the vehicle. An 18-year-old Milwaukee woman has life-threatening injuries and a 17-year-old boy was seriously injured, Norman said.

The other four occupants, aged 15 to 18, were also transported to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries. No other members of the public or officers were injured.

The officer who fired, a 25-year-old man with more than four years of service, was placed on administrative duty, per department policy. The West Allis Police Department is the lead agency in the investigation.

An attempted carjacking took place earlier Thursday in the 500 block of North Broadway and a carjacking occurred in the 500 block of North Jefferson Street, according to Norman.

The two carjacking victims are “fine,” he said.

Carjackings – which involve the taking of a car by threat or force, often with a weapon – have become a new area of concern for police and violence prevention officials. There were 450 people diverted in Milwaukee in 2023, a 16% increase from the previous year.

The upward trend continues, with carjackings up a further 12% compared to 2023, as of June 19.

The incident closed I-43 from Capitol Drive to Locust Street during the evening rush hour. Southbound traffic on I-43 was backed up to East Bradley Road in Fox Point and through the downtown Marquette interchange.

Maurice Greenwood, 36, was heading home from his job at a southern fast-food restaurant when he encountered congestion near the city center.

Police diverted him and thousands of other motorists onto Seventh Street, which runs parallel to the highway. Vehicles, leaning bumper to bumper, crossed the north side as investigators collected evidence on the highway just yards away.

“I had no idea I was going to run into something like this,” Greenwood said while stuck in traffic on Seventh Street and King Drive. “You never know what’s going to happen any day of the week.”

By the time he got to Seventh and King, he had been in traffic for about two hours.

Traffic jams on the side street attracted nearby residents. They didn't know what happened on the highway below, but believed the situation was serious given the police presence.

“It’s crazy,” said Da’neesha Johnson, 22, as she passed another taped-off section of Seventh Street. “It’s hard to feel safe here.”

All lanes of northbound and southbound I-43 were closed from 2:40 p.m. to 9:15 p.m., according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Norman did not say whether the suspects fired

Norman, who recently applied for a new job in Austin, Texas, was unable to say whether anyone had shot at police officers. “At the moment it is unknown,” he said, adding that it was “an ongoing investigation.”

“I can't explain what (the officers) felt at that moment, I just understand what we know at that moment and that there was some sort of confrontation at that particular location,” he said. Norman said.

The department's use of force policy addresses the firing of firearms at moving vehicles. Police officers are prohibited from shooting at moving vehicles “unless deadly physical force is used against the officer or another person by means other than a moving vehicle” and “the risks are outweighed by the need to use deadly force.”

Norman said the driver of the suspect vehicle intentionally reversed into a police car, then drove forward and reversed while an officer stood behind the vehicle.

The department's policy specifically states that it is “not intended” to prevent an officer from firing his or her weapon when it is “reasonably perceived that the vehicle is being used as a weapon against the officer or others people “.

The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission approved a new policy in April that would require police to release footage of “critical incidents” within 15 days. However, a Milwaukee County judge temporarily blocked the policy from going into effect. Instead, police aim to release the footage within 45 days.

Norman calls on parents to act on the first day of summer

Following a prepared statement, Norman spoke off-script about the state of crime in Milwaukee as Thursday marked the first day of summer and the Republican National Convention, which will draw thousands of visitors to the city, is expected take place in a few weeks.

Police say Milwaukee has seen fewer homicides this year than in recent years, but more and more victims and suspects are young people, often minors.

“As we move into Daylight Saving Time, it is imperative that we understand where are our children?” » Norman said.

“We have several young people involved in unacceptable behavior in this city. This is unacceptable. Parents, what is happening with your children? People in our community, how do we help keep our children in positive behaviors, rather than what we are you see today?

“This should never have happened. … There are no winners in this particular situation. So I ask the community to take our children and embrace them in a positive way to adopt positive behaviors and not these unacceptable behaviors that we saw today.

A reporter asked if the ministry was considering mobilizing young people, which raised Norman's concern.

“I've said this many times. We are law enforcement. We enforce the law. Maintaining order in the community is our sole responsibility. … It's not just up to us. Don't blame all this on us.

“Our children need us. They cry for us.”

Where to find help

The Milwaukee Office of Community Wellness of Safety recommends these resources for free assistance:

414Life Outreach and conflict mediation support: 414-439-5525.

Milwaukee County Mental Health Crisis Line, open 24 hours a day: 414-257-7222.

Milwaukee Children's Mobile Crisis and Trauma Response Team: 414-257-7621.

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOPELINE to 741741 to text a trained crisis counselor.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233.

Norman did not say whether the suspects fired

Norman calls on parents to act on the first day of summer

Where to find help

Lina Portman

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