A prosecutor won't file charges against a white former Milwaukee police officer in the fatal shooting of a black man with a history of mental illness.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm announced on Monday that Christopher Manney, the cop, won't face any charges in the death of Dontre Hamilton in April.
Chisholm said that the officer's use of force "was justified self-defense."
Breaking ex-police officer Christopher Manney won't be charged in shooting death of Dontre Hamilton in Milwaukee. pic.twitter.com/x9Ouw3pQbI— JS Photo Desk (@js_photo) December 22, 2014
Details of the shooting
The incident began on April 30 when nearby Starbucks baristas called the police to complain about a man who was sleeping on a bench in a park near the store, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Two officers responded to the call and checked on the man, Dontre Hamilton, and determined he was doing nothing wrong, they told internal investigators.
A third cop, Christopher Manney, then checked his voicemail and heard the earlier call, not knowing the other two officers had already responded. He approached Hamilton -- who was homeless and had a history of mental illness, his family has said -- and began to frisk him.
Hamilton objected and he resisted, grabbing the officers baton and striking him with the device.
Manney, the officer, then opened fire, striking Hamilton a total of 14 times.
A makeshift memorial setup at #Red Arrow Park for Dontre Hamilton. #Milwaukee pic.twitter.com/JJvChmNjfZ— Melinda Davenport (@WISN_Melinda) May 2, 2014
In October, Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn fired Manney, saying the pat-down attempt violated proper procedure for dealing with a person who appeared to be suffering from mental illness.
The Milwaukee Police Association condemned Manney's firing as a political move, and members voted no confidence in Flynn soon after the firing. Mike Crivello, the association's president, said in an October Facebook statement that "the decision to terminate this officer is cowardice and certainly unfounded and unsupported by fact."
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Post by Milwaukee Police Association.
Manney has appealed his firing and applied for disability, saying the shootings in Milwaukee and Ferguson have cost him sleep and made it difficult for him to think clearly. He also has said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Dozens arrested in protests
For months, Hamilton's family and others have peacefully protested his death and demanded that District Attorney John Chisholm charge Manney.
More questions than answers in the death of #Dontre Hamilton, who was shot multiple times by an #MPD officer. pic.twitter.com/K3U8DT57b2— OverpassLightBrigade (@OLBLightBrigade) May 3, 2014
Brother of Dontre Hamilton speaking "They shot my brother 15 times..he did nothing wrong" Solidarity with #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/RbHsjg3uOv— Stephanie Pistachio (@supasuga) August 17, 2014
A total of 74 demonstrators were arrested on Friday when they stopped traffic on a Milwaukee highway, causing a backup.
Over 80 arrested in Milwaukee: Justice For #DontreHamilton - http://t.co/cG3E9cKGx6 #BlackLivesMatter #ICantBreathe pic.twitter.com/N83QviEqlb— Revolution News (@NewsRevo) December 22, 2014
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett described the demonstration as one that "crossed the line of lawful protest and put the lives of the demonstrators and the general public in harm's way."
Individuals who chose to endanger the public by blocking roadways are being arrested by MPD and @MCSOSheriff— Milwaukee Police (@MilwaukeePolice) December 19, 2014
"We're still peaceful," Dontre Hamilton's brother, Nathaniel Hamilton, said after the arrests. "Nothing is burning. Nothing is torn down. No one's hurt. I don't want them to think being disruptive is being violent."
Governor could call in National Guard
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker told reporters last week that he could call in the National Guard if the protests were to turn violent.
"We proactively worked to make sure the National Guard was reaching out," Walker said. "They've been having meetings with law enforcement here within the region just to make sure."
"The last thing I want is for them to get a call and then have to scurry about what they need to do. We said whenever it is, whenever it might be forthcoming, the last few weeks, we made sure they reached out to both (Milwaukee Police Chief Edward) Flynn and the sheriff and others to make sure they knew who the point person was," he told reporters, expressing hope that the demonstrations wouldn't get out of control.
"We're hopeful," he said. "We strongly believe in the end that this is going to be peaceful, that it will be a stark contrast to what we've seen elsewhere in other parts of the country."