Milwaukee fatal shooting; Ring camera, facial recognition IDs suspect
Milwaukee fatal shooting; Ring camera helps case
Doorbell video and facial recognition helped solve a Milwaukee homicide. On July 20, in the middle of the day, the Milwaukee Police Department was called to 55th and Custer for a shooting. A 26-year-old died.
MILWAUKEE - Doorbell video and facial recognition helped solve a Milwaukee homicide.
Fatal shooting
What we know:
On July 20, in the middle of the day, the Milwaukee Police Department was called to 55th and Custer for a shooting. A 26-year-old died.
Milwaukee shootings Sunday; 1 dead, 2 wounded in 3 separate incidents
One person is dead and two others wounded in three separate shooting incidents on Sunday, July 20.
Prosecutors say a Ring camera captured the entire thing.
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35-year-old Deon Howell has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide.
Deon Howell
Prosecutors say he was out on probation at the time of the shooting and that ultimately played a role in his arrest.
Tracing the suspect
Dig deeper:
FOX6 News spoke with the woman who called 911. She is concerned for her safety, so she remains anonymous.
"All of a sudden, I heard three gunshots that were very close," she said. "I watched a man, a young man, lose his life."
Investigators say the Ring camera video shows Howell talking with the victim, who was selling a dog. When the victim put the puppy on the ground, prosecutors say Howell shot him three times before driving off in a stolen car.
Deon Howell
Police then traced Howell through cell phone records. They said he bought the flip phone at a Cell World & Tobacco store on Capitol.
Investigators say the surveillance video was so clear, they were able to match Howell through facial recognition software.
Community program and concerns
Why you should care:
The Milwaukee Police Foundation's Community Connect Milwaukee program has 1,410 residential cameras registered with the MPD; 965 of those are integrated, meaning police have direct access to a camera feed.
In April, the ACLU of Wisconsin wrote a letter to the Milwaukee Common Council asking for a two-year pause on the adoption of any new surveillance technology, especially facial recognition.
The organization said it cannot comment on this specific case, but is generally worried about mass surveillance; research suggests the technology tends to misidentify people of color.
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As that debate continues, cases like this show how technology is changing police investigations.
Scene near 55th and Custer, Milwaukee
"Cameras are so important," the woman said. "Too many people are losing their lives."
Legal proceedings
What's next:
Howell’s bond was set at $300,000.
He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Monday, Aug. 11.
The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.