ATF still silent on suspect’s death in Milwaukee
Vehicle struck man who died amid chase
A spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Monday that the agency would not comment on a Milwaukee operation last week that ended in what is being called an “officer-involved death” of a suspect.
“I apologize, I know it’s really confusing,” said ATF media contact Ashlee Sherrill of the St. Paul field office, which oversees Milwaukee. “But we don’t want to compromise the investigation.”
She was referring to one by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, which indicated over the weekend it had been asked by ATF to review the incident, part of which was captured on a resident’s dash cam video that raises a big question about the suspect’s death.
The DOJ news release stated the ATF was the lead agency in a group of law enforcement officers serving an arrest warrant Thursday on Bruce Young, 40, suspected of possessing illegal explosives. At some point, Young ran and was being chased by agents when he shot himself, according to the release.
The video clearly shows the running suspect also being struck by a law enforcement vehicle and crumpling to the ground in traffic on Greenfield Ave.
A woman who happened to drive up on the scene captured the end of the chase on a dash camera video she shared with WITI-TV (Channel 6), which posted a story and the video.
In the video, a man is seen running into W. Greenfield Ave. traffic from S. 34th St., hesitating briefly to let a conversion van pass, then darting behind it to cross the street. Just as he does, a dark-colored SUV or minivan comes speeding up from behind on S. 34th St. and strikes the pedestrian, who crumples to the pavement. He does not appear to move for several seconds.
The driver and her passenger are heard saying “Oh, my God” repeatedly as they stop short of the intersection. The striking vehicle stops and has flashers going. Suddenly, at least a dozen officers and agents converge on the scene. One armed with an assaultstyle rifle approaches the woman and motions her to back away and the scene eventually disappears from the camera’s view.
The DOJ news release about the investigation of the officer-involved death doesn’t refer to the video, but a department spokesman confirmed that the pedestrian struck by a vehicle was the fleeing suspect.