Off-duty officer gets fine for 2020 scuffle with protesters
The Milwaukee police officer involved in a 2020 off-duty scuffle with protesters of police brutality will not serve jail time but will be fined a maximum $1,250 and pay restitution.
Officer Matthew Willmann, who has been with the department since 2006, pleaded guilty in November to a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct and a non-criminal county citation of disorderly conduct, shortly before a trial was to begin.
The misdemeanor conviction exposed Willmann to up to three months of imprisonment, but Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Jack Davila said that would not be necessary for a first-time criminal offense.
Willmann was partially caught on video scuffling with two photographers, LaTasha Lux and Sean Kafer, following a police brutality protest along the 1000 block of North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in July 2020.
In brief remarks following Thursday’s hearing, Lux, who suffered a concussion during the confrontation, said she was relieved the case had concluded, noting she still experiences nightmares and anxiety. Kafer, who also said the incident contributed to his anxiety, said he was satisfied with the fines imposed by Davila.
Willmann said nothing to reporters after receiving his sentence but apologized during the hearing.
While off-duty on July 5, 2020, Willmann and his wife at a bar when protesters marched by. His wife walked outside, tossed a drink in their direction and shouted “blue lives matter,” according to court documents.
Members of the group turned their attention on her, and as they approached, Willmann rushed over and is seen on video throwing a punch toward Kafer, damaging a camera lens worth hundreds of dollars.
Davila ordered Willmann to pay for the damaged camera Thursday.
Willmann appeared intoxicated and angry that day, speaking unintelligibly while swinging his arms, the criminal complaint said.
Off camera, Willmann later swiped at a camera belonging to Lux, causing it to hit her face, according to witness accounts and the complaint. Lux said the impact gave her a concussion and she suffered side effects — dizziness, nausea and traumatic stress — for the rest of the summer.
In a statement to responding officers at the scene, Willmann said he swatted at Kafer and Lux’s camera to prevent them from photographing his wife and himself, according to the complaint. He also claimed more than once that he wasn’t sure if one of the cameras was a gun, according to police reports obtained through an open records request.
Willmann’s attorney, Daniel Adams, also asserted in court filings that Willmann was then grabbed, pushed and assaulted by protesters.
Kafer, a filmmaker and lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Lux, a professional photographer, frequently attended and documented Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
Willmann was suspended for 45 days by then-Acting Chief Michael Brunson, Sr. His attorney, Adams, said Thursday that he was also taken off the department’s motorcycle unit and has worked in an administrative role ever since.
Between 2008 and 2014, Willmann only received district-level reprimands or additional training for three department violations involving court appearances and investigating and filing reports, according to police documents.
Adams on Thursday argued that Willmann had already received harsh punishment for his actions by being harassed by members of the public.
Davila acknowledged Willmann received “more heat” from the incident than the average person but said that to a certain extent, it’s to be expected as a police officer who is held to a higher standard.
“I can’t ignore the fact that this was really instigated by you,” Davila said. “You could’ve gone back inside the bar.”