Milwaukee shots fired, standoff; man sentenced to probation
Hyrom Stokes
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man, who prosecutors said fired shots from a vacant building before engaging in a standoff with police, has been sentenced to probation.
In court:
Court records show Hyrom Stokes, 38, pleaded guilty to second-degree recklessly endangering safety earlier this year. On Thursday, Judge Kori Ashley initially sentenced Stokes to prison but stayed that sentence in favor of three years' probation.
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Shots fired, standoff
The backstory:
Milwaukee police officers were responding to a call when they heard gunshots in the area of Fond du Lac and North on the night of Oct. 16, 2024. A Shotspotter alert reported there were 10 gunshots in the area, and another alert for a single gunshot came as officers were trying to identify the location.
When officers arrived in the area of the Shotspotter alert, which was a vacant commercial mall, a criminal complaint said they heard two or three more gunshots. One officer then saw a rifle barrel in a second-story window, and the officers then retreated and called for backup.
22nd and North, near Fond du Lac; Milwaukee
The complaint noted the area of Fond du Lac and North is a "high-traffic thoroughfare" with several businesses located on both streets, and there are residential neighborhoods within a block.
Prosecutors said MPD secured the mall's perimeter and, as a tactical team prepared to go in, a man – later identified as Stokes – exited the building and was taken into custody. No one else was found inside the building or in the area.
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Stokes had a pistol, revolver and bolt-action rifle in his possession, per the complaint. Officers found multiple bullet casings, 11 of which were on the mall's roof. More bullet casings were found on the ground at two different locations around the building, "consistent with someone firing from either the edge of the roof or from an open window."
In an interview with investigators, Stokes initially denied firing any weapon. He later admitted to firing the pistol when confronted about the guns found at the scene, but denied shooting at officers.
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The Source: FOX6 News referenced information from the Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.