Milwaukee police fatally shoot man, 42; officers say he shot first
Milwaukee police shot and killed a 42-year-old man Monday afternoon after they say he fired a weapon as officers approached.
According to Acting Chief Jeffrey Norman, at approximately 3:50 p.m., officers were dispatched to “a subject with a gun incident” at a gas station on the 2500 block of North 27th Street. A 911 caller said an individual had a gun and was pointing it at people.
Upon arrival, officers encountered an armed individual and gave him a command to drop his gun. Instead, the man discharged his firearm, Norman said. Officers discharged their firearms, “subsequently striking the individual,” he said.
The suspect, a 42-year-old Milwaukee man, sustained fatal injuries “although officers took life-saving measures.”
Ella Jones identified the victim, her brother, as Broderick Shelton Jr. He was one of the youngest members in a family of 13 that lived in the neighborhood.
She said he had a history of mental health issues but never hurt anyone before.
“He’s had problems but he wasn’t the person who would hurt someone,” she said.
Corey Kirkwood, a community activist from the Amani area, said the man was homeless and well-known in the neighborhood as Baldie.
Kirkwood said the man had grown up in the neighborhood and would hang out at the gas station where he was shot. Workers at the station were OK with him hanging around every day, Kirkwood said.
Kirkwood said “he’s really friendly” and wasn’t known to carry a gun. Family members were in disbelief after hearing the man had one.
“He’s a good boy, I can’t believe it,” Jones said. “Baldie don’t have no gun, I don’t believe that.”
No one else was injured in the shooting. The firearm was recovered.
Three male officers were involved in the incident, Norman said. A 32-yearold with more than four years of service, and a 26-year-old and a 29-yearold, both with over five years of service. They were placed on administrative duty, which he said is routine in officer-involved shootings.
“This is an ongoing investigation,” Norman said. The Milwaukee Area Investigative Team will be investigating this incident. The Wauwatosa Police Department will be the lead law enforcement agency in the investigation.
As Norman addressed the media, the man’s family began yelling “wrong” and demanded to know where the man’s body had been taken.
Jones said her brother’s body was moved from the scene so fast and she didn’t get the chance to see him.
“I just hope they get justice because Baldie wasn’t that type of kid,” Jones said.