Suspect fatally shot in police encounter

The suspect of a drug investigation was fatally shot shortly after 6:30 p.m. Thursday during an encounter with law enforcement officers on Milwaukee’s north side, police said.

The encounter took place in the 4900 block of N. 19th Place, just north of W. Hampton Ave., and involved officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the West Allis and Milwaukee police departments, Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn told reporters at the scene.

The drug investigation led officers in plain clothes to a vehicle, where they were confronted by the suspect who had “a firearm in his hand,” Flynn said. Shots were fired, and the suspect was fatally wounded, he said.

“That is what we know at this time,” Flynn said.

“Active drug investigation, take-down of drug dealer suspect, weapon displayed, shots fired. Precisely which firearms were used, how many bullets fired (from) each weapon is yet to be determined,” Flynn said.

No officers were wounded, and a gun was recovered from the hand of the suspect, said Flynn, who did not take questions from reporters.

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm was on the scene, and the shooting will be investigated by the Milwaukee County Suburban Investigations Team, which will not include officers from either the West Allis or Milwaukee police departments, Flynn said.

Last fall, Milwaukee police reached an agreement with area law enforcement agencies to have a team of outside detectives — none of whom are former Milwaukee police officers — lead investigations into fatal police shootings in the city.

Since Wisconsin enacted a law that requires outside agencies to lead investigations into officer-involved deaths, Milwaukee police traditionally had requested the state Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation handle those cases.