Burger King employee fired weapon at suspect during fatal robbery
A Burger King employee fired a gun during the robbery that resulted in the death of Niesha Harris-Brazell, suggesting the 16-year-old cashier may have been killed in a crossfire or by her coworker.
Criminal charges were filed Thursday against the coworker, Derrick D. Ellis, 34, of Milwaukee, for felony possession of a firearm by a convicted out-of-state felon.
Ellis was caught on surveillance camera firing his weapon at the suspect, who appeared to attempt the robbery by leaning into the drive-thru window with their own gun, according to images released by Milwaukee police earlier this week.
Ellis and the unidentified robbery suspect are not in custody, and it remains unclear whether the robbery suspect also fired their weapon, according to Sgt. Efrain Cornejo, a spokesman for Milwaukee police.
The criminal complaint filed against Ellis on Thursday stops short of saying whether his gunfire struck Harris-Brazell. How she was struck remains under investigation, Cornejo said.
The robbery and shooting unfolded around 10:12 p.m. Sunday, on the 5100 block of West Capitol Drive, shortly after closing.
According to the criminal complaint: After firing his weapon toward the suspect, Ellis was seen crawling on the floor, collecting the spent casings. He is then seen hiding the gun in a safe.
A restaurant manager told police that Ellis asked her to hide the gun in the safe because he was a felon and could not possess it. She said he normally carries the gun at work. Police recovered a .380caliber pistol inside the safe.
Ellis was convicted in 2014 of attempted second-degree home invasion in Michigan, the equivalent of attempted burglary in Wisconsin.
The robbery suspect is described as an African American male with a heavy build. He was last seen wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, tan pants and was armed with a handgun. He drove a black four-door Chevrolet Impala with a sunroof and spoiler on the back.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Milwaukee police, at 414-9357360, or Crime Stoppers, at 414-224Tips, or by using the P3 Tips app to remain anonymous.