Daylan Mallard
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man has been criminally charged in connection to a fatal battery that happened in Milwaukee on Thursday evening, Nov. 5. The victim has been identified as 56-year-old Harry Bruce, an MPS teacher.
Daylan Mallard, 22, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide.
Mallard made his initial court appearance on Tuesday, Nov. 10, where a judge set his cash bond at $250,000. He is due back in court on Nov. 18 for a preliminary hearing.
Fatal battery
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police were dispatched to the area of 12th and Walnut around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5 for a battery in progress.
When police arrived at the scene, they observed Daylan Mallard standing in the grass by the bus stop with no clothing on except his underwear and socks.
The victim, Harry Bruce, was found lying unconscious and not breathing. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Surveillance video
The Details:
According to court filings, security footage from a nearby apartment building captured part of the incident.
According to the complaint, the footage shows a person matching Mallard's description repeatedly punching the victim.
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The footage then shows the individual walking north on the sidewalk before turning around, running back, and jumping on the victim to resume the attack, per the complaint.
Approximately three minutes later, a Milwaukee County Transit Bus stops at the bus shelter and individuals can be seen exiting the bus.
Witness statements
What they're saying:
A witness told police she was getting off a bus when she saw two men in a grassy area north of the shelter. According to her statement, Mallard had the victim in a headlock, holding him in place while punching him in the head 20 to 30 times, per the complaint.
The witness said the victim appeared unable to defend himself and was bleeding from his nose and mouth. According to the witness, Mallard told her, "I’m gonna come after you too, once I’m done with him." The witness called 911.
The witness stated that while she was waiting at the bus stop, a bystander approached her and said, "That old man was just waiting at the bus stop and this man walked up to him and charged him for no reason," according to the criminal complaint.
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Per the complaint, another witness told investigators he and his friends had gone to a nearby restaurant for food. While waiting for their order, a woman ran up to them yelling that a man was being killed nearby.
The witness stated that the woman then pointed them toward where the attack was taking place.
When they reached the scene, the witness said they saw Mallard attacking Bruce and ordered him to stop. According to the witness, Mallard finally let go, stood up, and removed his clothing while aggressively yelling at everyone, court filings say.
The witness stated he began doing CPR on the victim.
Harry Bruce
About Harry Bruce
The Details:
Harry Bruce was a father, minister, coach, and community mentor. Police have not said what led to the deadly beating. In a press release shared by the World Outreach Center and Bible Training Center, it said, "Bruce was attempting to help a woman who was reportedly being assaulted when he was attacked."
The Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts principal said Bruce was a special education teacher there for 13 years.
"He was always a positive force. I remember him working so hard just to be a better person. And that was a model for all of us," said Tiffany Fisher, Roosevelt Middle School principal.
Milwaukee community remembers Harry Bruce, coach and mentor killed
Friends and family gathered near 12th and Walnut to honor 56-year-old Harry Bruce, a mentor and educator killed while trying to help someone.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court Access.