Man says gun fired accidentally before police shot at him
An 18-year-old man in a standoff with police said his gun accidentally fired when he tried to throw it to officers, prompting an officer to fire five shots at him, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors on Friday charged Nathanial J. Lewek of Milwaukee with five counts related to the Saturday evening car chase and foot pursuit that ended with gunfire, but no injuries.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Commissioner Maria Dorsey ordered Lewek held on $1,000 cash bond and ordered him not to possess dangerous weapons and not to drive without a license.
He is charged with first and second-degree recklessly endangering safety with the use of a firearm, driving a stolen vehicle and fleeing and obstructing an officer.
According to a criminal complaint:
About 6 p.m. Saturday, two officers tried to pull over the stolen Kia Lewek was driving, but Lewek sped away.
As officers pursued him, Lewek ran six stop signs, one red light, drove the wrong way down two one-way streets and drove through several alleys, reaching speeds over 60 mph.
The officers lost sight of the vehicle, but two other officers spotted it a minute later and started another pursuit. Lewek crashed the Kia in an alley between Grant Street and North 41st Street, and three people got out of the car and ran.
As the officers chased after him on foot, they noticed he had a handgun and yelled for him to drop it.
Lewek then hid behind a large bush near 4013 W. Center St., and officer Jeffrey Jopp again ordered him to drop his gun several times.
“Officer Jopp then heard a single gunshot and observed a muzzle flash from the location of the suspect,” the complaint reads.
Then Jopp fired five shots at Lewek. Neither person was injured, police said.
Police arrested Lewek as well as a 16-year-old boy, who was a passenger in the Kia.
In an interview with police, Lewek said the gun discharged when he was trying to throw it to the officer.
Jopp is a 45-year-old officer with seven years on the police force. He was placed on administrative duty while the investigation was underway.
If convicted of all charges, Lewek faces up to 30 years in prison.