Police sergeant shoots, wounds man with shotgun

MILWAUKEE -- A Milwaukee police sergeant shot and wounded a 27-year-old man who was wielding a shotgun early Sunday morning. This, after police say the man refused to drop the weapon.

The police sergeant and an officer responded to the neighborhood near 39th and National around 2:40 a.m. Sunday to deal with a report of a man threatening his girlfriend.

When the man refused an order to put down the shotgun, the police sergeant discharged his handgun, striking and wounding the suspect.

The suspect was treated at Froedtert Hospital -- and later released to police custody. There is no word yet on whether the suspect has been charged.

The police sergeant is 55 years old and assigned to District 2. He's been with the Milwaukee Police Department for 30 years.

The sergeant is now on desk duty while an investigation is conducted by the Criminal Investigation Bureau and the Milwaukee County District Attorney's office. This is standard procedure.

FOX6 News spoke with neighbors Sunday who were woken up by the gunfire. 13-year-old Paola Huerta and her big sister, Yaneli said commotion broke out behind their house early Sunday morning. "All of a sudden, I hear gun shots and I run up to my window. I saw the officers chasing the suspect, and then I heard like two or three shots. Then, all of a sudden, 12 cops come here," Huerta said.

The Huerta girls said it was a wild night that kept them awake until 6:00 a.m.