Protesters demand body cam video of Acevedo chokehold be released
Dozens gathered in solidarity in front of the Milwaukee County Courthouse on Monday evening demanding justice for Joel Acevedo.
Acevedo’s family, joined by renowned justice lawyer Benjamin Crump and his co-counsel B’Ivory LaMarr, spoke in front of the courthouse calling for the Milwaukee Police Department to release the body cam footage of what happened after police officers arrived at the home of Michael Mattioli to find the off-duty officer holding Acevedo in a chokehold.
Mattioli told investigators he had held Acevedo, a friend who’d been at his house for a party, in the chokehold for 10 minutes during a fight but didn’t think he’d applied enough pressure to kill him, according to a criminal complaint.
Acevedo, 25, died from his injuries about a week later. Mattioli, 32, has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide. The city’s Fire and Police Commission announced last week it had initiated a disciplinary process against Mattioli “that could result in his termination from MPD.”
Protesters marched two miles from the courthouse to South Sixth Street and West Greenfield Avenue, where a mural honoring Acevedo is painted.
Mattioli is out on bail and is still collecting a paycheck from the Milwaukee Police Department, Crump said.
Acevedo’s family, along with Crump and LaMarr, have watched the body cam video. Crump, who also represents the family of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, said releasing the video to the public is important for justice to be served.
Arbery was shot and killed while jogging in February; it took more than two months for charges to be filed and arrests to be made, though the incident was captured on video.
“Police saw that video from day one, and it wasn’t until 10 weeks later that when we the people saw the video that they finally arrested the murderous duo, the father and son who lynched him, not in 1940, not in 1950, but they lynched a black man in 2020 in broad daylight,” Crump said.
“That’s why we know there’s a precedent that the people have to see the video.”
Though body cam footage is public record, prosecutors typically do not release such evidence while a criminal case is pending, so as not to taint the jury pool. Footage from the fatal shooting of Sylville Smith in 2016 was not released until the trial of Milwaukee Police Officer Dominique Heaggan-Brown, who was later acquitted.
Mattioli was supposed to appear in court Monday, but his hearing was pushed to Aug. 31.
Acevedo’s father, Jose Acevedo, spoke to attendees about the loss of his son and called on city officials, including Police Chief Alfonso Morales, to officially fire Mattioli.
“Morales talked on TV about training officers and the money that it’s going to take,” he said. “I tell you, Mr. Morales, the one that needs training is you, stop covering for them.”