The police officer who last April shot and killed an unarmed and mentally ill African-American man–an incident that sparked months of protests–escaped criminal charges, but he will not regain his job. Last night, a three-member panel upheld the October decision amidst police union pushback and denied officer Christopher Manney’s appeal after hearing five days of testimony. Manney is likely the first Milwaukee officer fired in 45 years as a result of a fatal on-duty shooting, the Journal-Sentinel has reported.
Reacting to Monday night’s decision by Milwaukee Fire and Commission members, Hamilton’s brother, Nate said:
Dontre has no voice no more, but today he spoke. Dontre spoke. He continues to speak through us, through the community, through change. The police officers, we’re not saying that all of them are bad, but you have to remove those that are. You have to hold those accountable that aren’t doing and following the procedures of the Milwaukee Police Department.
Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn had fired Manney in October for not following department rules of engagement and creating, he said, "circumstances that place [officers] at a situation where they have no choice."
Hamilton, family members say, had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.