Police shoot, kill suspect in 2 carjackings and chases
Caller at Franklin Walmart reported active shooter
A 31-year-old Milwaukee man who pointed a gun at police early Friday morning is dead after two separate carjackings and a short car pursuit in Franklin.
Police have not released the man’s name. A news release from the Milwaukee County Sheriff ’s Office said the incident began early Friday when the suspect kidnapped a male victim near the 1700 block of South 26th St.
After the kidnapping, the suspect drove the victim to three stores along South 27th Street in Milwaukee and Franklin, where the victim told store personnel that he had been kidnapped.
At one of the stores, Walmart, 6701 S. 27th St., Franklin, someone reported to police there was an active shooter. Officers from the Oak Creek and Franklin police departments and deputies from the Milwaukee County Sheriff ’s Office responded to the scene.
“It is believed that, as officers closed in, the suspect abandoned the vehicle he was driving and stole a second vehicle,” the release said.
The suspect led police on a car chase southbound on Interstate 94. He exited on West Elm Road and drove down South 27th Street again. The suspect crashed into a business parking lot near 27th Street and West Ryan Road and stole another vehicle at gunpoint.
He then continued on and struck another vehicle at 27th and Sycamore Street. After the crash, he came out of the vehicle with a firearm.
“He was engaged by four deputies, one Franklin officer and four Oak Creek officers and was fatally shot,” the release said.
The deputies and police officers are all on investigative leave, according to their department policies.
During a news conference, Milwaukee County Sherriff Earnell Lucas said he’s not sure how many officers shot the man.
“We’re currently trying to piece together all the parts,” Lucas said, noting that there are a number of crime scenes associated with the incident spread across the county.
“But,” Lucas continued, “the threat is ended.” Lucas did not have any information about the condition of the first victim or how or whether they escaped.
The West Allis Police Department, a member of the Milwaukee Area Investigative Team, is leading the investigation into the day’s events.
Officers provided life-saving measures
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the suspect fired at officers or what else might have prompted the shooting. After the man was shot, officers provided life-saving measures — ultimately for naught, Lucas said.
According to emergency radio traffic, at least two paramedic units were dispatched to the shopping center off 27th and Sycamore. A command post was set up at Hobby Lobby, 6803 S. 27th St. Medical units were told to stage at Lowe’s, 7027 S. 27th St.
Lucas said no law enforcement personnel were injured in the incident.
Witness saw what preceded the shooting
Andrew Dicks, an Oak Creek resident, was going home at 8:20 a.m. after dropping his son off at school when he saw part of the incident.
“I didn’t see the shootout, but I got off the freeway on Elm Street and see this car coming south
bound fly through the intersection with two cops following,” Dicks said.
Dicks turned north on 27th Street and “all of a sudden in front of me I see like six cops all in different medians, and two had spike strips, and then looking in my mirror I see the guy flying up behind me but he was on the wrong side of the street on 27th.”
Dicks said when the driver sped past him, “his front right tire blew off ” and he crashed.
“Then all the cops at the intersection had guns drawn, and he gets in another car,” Dicks said, adding that he saw a man running down 27th with his hands up, whom he believed to be the owner of the second car. “Then (the suspect) took off down 27th again, and like 20 cops at least were flying after him.”
The state Department of Transportation said the intersection at 27th and Ryan would be closed for an estimated two hours “due to law enforcement involved activity.”
A video shared on Twitter by a WITI-TV (Channel 6) reporter shows what appears to be the aftermath of a car chase along 27th Street. There is an upturned car in the video and several, maybe dozens, of gunshots can be heard.
The shooting jarred what’s usually a quiet neighborhood, witnesses said
Kristin Kaminski and her wife, Melissa Mileusnic, live just a block away from where the shooting occurred.
Kaminski is a firefighter in Kenosha and had just arrived home that morning after a 24-hour shift. First, she heard sirens for 10 minutes straight. Next, it was gunshots.
“I’m a firefighter, and unfortunately I see a lot of this stuff, but it’s a little different when it hits this close to home,” Kaminski said.
Kaminski and Mileusnic have lived at their home since 2007.
“It’s usually a very quiet neighborhood,” Mileusnic said.
But both said reckless driving and crime along South 27th Street has gotten worse in recent years.
Cedar Hills Elementary School also is just blocks away from their home.
“That’s the worst part of it is you have little kids running around this neighborhood constantly,” Mileusnic said.
“I’m a little shocked that this is what society has come to,” Kaminski added.
Greenfield School District went on lockdown for the incident
At least one area school went into lockdown in response to the incident.
The Greenfield School District said in a post on its Facebook page that it placed all buildings on lockdown at about 8:17 a.m.; that order was lifted at about 8:45, the district said.
The Franklin School District said police informed it of an incident at Walmart, but it did not prompt a lockdown or any other security measures, according to an online newsletter from district administrator Judy Mueller. Police already had the situation under control by the time officers contacted the district, the letter said.
“Fortunately, we did not have to respond to this incident today, but in the event we do in the future, our students and staff will be ready and respond appropriately,” Mueller wrote.
There have been several police shootings recently
There have been several police shootings in the last few weeks in Milwaukee County. Four of these shootings have now been fatal, with all but one preceded by a car chase.
On Aug. 16, Milwaukee police responded to a call about a person with a gun in the 2500 block of North 27th Street. Officers shot and killed 42-year-old Broderick Shelton Jr. after they said he fired a weapon as officers approached him outside a gas station.
On Aug. 22, Greenfield police got into a 2-mile car chase into Milwaukee with 31-year-old Tyran C. Lamb after he fled a traffic stop. Lamb crashed his car near South 27th and West Becher streets, where a shootout with police unfolded. Lamb was killed, and a Greenfield officer suffered life-threatening injuries.
Police have not said why they tried to pull over Lamb.
On Aug. 26, Milwaukee police said they tried pulling over 33-year-old Earl D. Lawhorn after seeing him driving recklessly. A mile-long chased ended after Lawhorn crashed in the 2800 block of North 41st Street and ran away. Police said two officers shot him after he refused to drop his gun. He died from his injuries.
Police have not said whether Lawhorn pointed the gun at officers.
And on Aug. 30, Milwaukee police exchanged gunfire with another suspect after a police chase ended in a crash in the 1600 block of West Becher Street. A 21-year-old Milwaukee man ran away after shots were fired, but he was later arrested. No injuries were reported.
Police said they initially tried to pull over the car because someone inside it was wanted in an unrelated shots fired incident. Two other men, ages 21 and 20, were inside the car at the time and were also arrested.
Police said they seized several firearms from the three suspects.