Milwaukee police officer shoots, kills wanted suspect during chase

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee police officer shot and killed a wanted suspect, who drove off from an attempted arrest with that officer holding onto the vehicle, on the city's south side Thursday morning, March 12.

What we know:

It started around 10 a.m. MPD Chief Jeffrey Norman said officers and a Wisconsin Department of Corrections agent encountered the suspect, identified as a 35-year-old man, in a flatbed truck near 12th and Burnham.

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The officer ordered the suspect out of the vehicle, but Norman said the suspect refused. The suspect sped away when the officer tried to remove the suspect from the vehicle, fleeing as the officer held onto the driver's door.

Norman said the suspect drove for several blocks and refused multiple orders from the officer, who was still holding onto the door, to pull over – even when the officer said he would shoot the suspect if he did not stop. Another officer was in pursuit.

The officer who was holding onto the vehicle shot the suspect, ending the pursuit near 15th and Grant. The suspect died. A passenger in the flatbed truck was not injured but was taken to a hospital out of an abundance of caution.

"This was a totally avoidable incident. At the end of the day, this could have been prevented. There is a time and place, when you have a disagreement with law enforcement, to be able to have your day in court," Norman said. "The court is not on these streets."

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What's next:

Norman said the officer, a 46-year-old man with more than 21 years of service, was treated for non-fatal injuries. He has been placed on administrative duty, which is routine.

The Milwaukee Area Investigative Team will investigate the shooting, with the West Allis Police Department serving as the lead agency.

Editor's note: This story was updated to include new information.