Dontre Hamilton supporters to gather Thursday evening; march to Fire & Police Commission meeting
Dontre Hamilton supporters to gather Thursday evening; march to Fire & Police Commission meeting
Dontre Hamilton supporters to gather Thursday evening; march to Fire & Police Commission meeting
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn and others went before Milwaukee's Public Safety Committee Thursday, January 8th to discuss the officer-involved shooting of Dontre Hamilton in Red Arrow Park. Later Thursday, Dontre Hamilton supporters gathered at Red Arrow Park and marched to the Fire and Police Commission meeting at City Hall.
31-year-old Hamilton was shot and killed by former Milwaukee Police Officer Christopher Manney on April 30th. Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm has announced Manney won’t face criminal charges in connection with Hamilton’s death.
Manney has been terminated from the Milwaukee Police Department for his handling of Dontre Hamilton in Red Arrow Park April 30th — a termination he is appealing with the Fire and Police Commission.
Dontre Hamilton supporters are urging the Fire and Police Commission to uphold Manney's termination.
Meanwhile, the United States Attorney has announced the United States Department of Justice will undertake a federal review of this case to determine if, under federal civil rights law, there is a basis, both legal and factual, upon which a federal civil rights prosecution may be premised. This review will be conducted by the FBI, the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the Civil Rights Division.
One of the family’s attorneys says they’ve had several discussions with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and they believe that a federal investigation will prove their case and they hope to see charges.
Hamilton’s family attorney says a civil lawsuit is also currently in the works. Additionally, they are seeking a federal investigation into the patterns and practices of the Milwaukee Police Department.
Before the city's Public Safety Committee Thursday, Chief Flynn and others outlined the Milwaukee Police Department's procedures and policies relating to how officers interact with people with mental illness.
Then, Thursday evening, about 20 Dontre Hamilton supporters gathered in Red Arrow Park. The group then walked to the Fire and Police Commission meeting at City Hall, despite very cold temperatures and snowfall.
"We have to continue to speak for Dontre, continue to show up. You have to come out in rain, sleet or snow when justice presents itself," Dontre Hamilton's brother, Nate Hamilton said.
At the Fire and Police Commission meeting, Dontre Hamilton supporters asked the Commission to uphold Manney's termination.
"We've been saying the same thing for nine months, yet our cries continue to go unheard," a Dontre Hamilton supporter said before the FPC.
"We're not saying that all officers on the street are bad individuals -- we're saying this one was. Christopher Manney is not fit to be an officer in this city anymore," Curtis Sails with the Coalition for Justice said before the FPC.
At the meeting, it was announced the Fire and Police Commission meeting will take up Manney's appeal of his termination in early February. Chief Flynn is expected to give testimony at that hearing.
"My testimony will stick closely to the facts that were learned during this investigation and my finding that a decision that was in violation of training and policy triggered a chain of events that would ultimately end tragically," Chief Flynn said.
It is that tragic ending that has demonstrators continuing to fight for justice.
"We need the commission to recognize that we will be here. This is your new norm. We will not go away. We will stay here and we will stay committed until the pain is gone," a Dontre Hamilton supporter said.
A Milwaukee County supervisor is proposing renaming Red Arrow Park after Dontre Hamilton -- a proposal the Hamilton family supports.
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