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Officers testify in Williams inquest
Officers testify in Williams inquest
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- On Wednesday, February 13th, seven Milwaukee police officers pleaded the Fifth Amendment in the inquest into the death of Derek Williams. On Day Four of the inquest, other officers told jurors what they saw the night Williams died while in police custody.
The jury on Thursday heard from officers who helped investigate on that July night. They were investigating a robbery police believe Williams tried to commit before officers chased him and arrested him.
Milwaukee Police Detective Luke O'Day read from a report. Shortly after Williams died in police custody, O'Day interviewed Officer Richard Ticcioni who made the Williams arrest in 2011.
Wednesday, Ticcioni refused to answer questions himself as is his constitutional right.
In that report, Ticcioni told O'Day what happened when he arrested Williams. Ticcioni said Williams struggled and would not obey commands. The arresting officer at first put his knee on Williams, but took it off when Williams said he had trouble breathing.
"Williams began squirming as if trying to get away and reached around his right side to his right waistband while still in handcuffs. Ticcioni stated he did not have a chance to search Williams and became concerned he was reaching for a possible weapon. Ticcioni reapplied pressure with his right knee to prevent further movement from the suspect," O'Day said.
Ticcioni took Williams to the squad, and another officer, Craig Thimm says he came to the arrest scene and saw Williams being arrested. Thimm says Williams was not complying with orders and was passively resisting.
Thimm went to search for a weapon in the area and canvassed the neighborhood for witnesses.
"We want to catch bad guys. When I knew the suspect was in custody, I said 'man, this is a good arrest. This is something I want to be a part of,'" Thimm said.
A short time later, when Williams was in the back of the police squad car, squad video shows him having difficulty breathing.
After several minutes, Williams collapsed. Efforts by police and paramedics could not revive him.
There have been some court calendar changes, and this inquest could wrap up sooner than first thought -- possibly Friday or Monday.
It seems that some questions the family wanted the special prosecutor to ask witnesses have been given to the special prosecutor and asked.
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