Prosecutors get report on shooting

A report on the fatal shooting of Jermaine Claybrooks by officers in a drug task force has been sent to prosecutors, an attorney for the man’s family said.

Claybrooks, 32, was shot March 16 during an encounter with West Allis and Milwaukee police and officers with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, according to Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn.

At a news briefing at the scene the night of the shooting, Flynn said a drug investigation led officers in plainclothes to Claybrooks’ vehicle, where they were “confronted by an individual with a firearm in his hand.” Flynn said Claybrooks was a drug-dealing suspect.

The shooting was investigated by the Milwaukee County Suburban Investigations Team, led by Wauwatosa police, and the investigation was to exclude officers from the West Allis and Milwaukee police departments.

The team turned over a report to the Milwaukee County district attorney’s office last week, said Walter Stern, an attorney for Claybrooks’ family.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern said Monday there was no timetable for when prosecutors will complete their review of the case.

Little information has been released since the shooting, and it is unknown publicly which agencies opened fire. A witness to the shooting told reporters Claybrooks never had a chance to surrender before officers began shooting.

The witness said Claybrooks was still inside the vehicle, which had tinted windows that were rolled up, when officers opened fire, and when the shooting ended, officers retreated and began yelling at Claybrooks to get out of the car and surrender.