'Wailing on his face:' Man faces felony murder-battery charge after deadly assault on Bradford Beach

MILWAUKEE -- Joseph Sharp, 24, of Greenfield is facing one count of felony murder-battery in connection with a deadly assault on Bradford Beach Sunday night, July 12.

Joseph Sharp

According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Bradford Beach around 9:30 p.m. for reports of a battery. Upon arrival, they located the victim being held up in a seated position by a woman and a man.

The complaint said the victim was unresponsive -- not breathing with no pulse -- and had visible signs of trauma to his head and face.  Life-saving measures were unsuccessful, and the victim was later pronounced dead.

An autopsy determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma. The death was ruled a homicide.

A witness on scene told investigators that the victim was a new friend of hers and the person who beat him up was her ex-boyfriend, Joseph Sharp.

1 dead following assault at Bradford Beach

According to the complaint, the witness told officials that on July 12, she and the victim agreed to go to Bradford Beach together. Upon arrival, between 5:30 p.m and 6 p.m., the witness claimed she saw Sharp, but did not think he saw them. Around 9 p.m., the witness claimed Sharp approached her and the victim on the beach and was "on top of wailing on him. He was wailing on his face."

The witness claimed she saw Sharp punch the victim seven plus times, according to the complaint. Afterwards, she said he told her, "(Expletive) you, (expletive. I should have done this a long time ago to you."

Sharp initially fled the scene after the attack. He was arrested upon returning to the scene on a bicycle -- and being spotted by a deputy.

He appeared in court Friday, July 17 -- where a competency exam was ordered.