West Allis police officer charged with misconduct, accused of kneeing suspect
West Allis police officer charged with misconduct
Prosecutors accused a West Allis police officer of using excessive force. They said he kneed a suspect in the back of the neck.
WEST ALLIS, Wis. - Prosecutors accused a West Allis police officer of using excessive force. They said he kneed a suspect in the back of the neck.
Officer Anton Best faces one felony charge of misconduct in office for allegedly exceeding his authority. If convicted, he could be locked up for 3.5 years and be fined up to $10,000.
January chase and arrest
What we know:
On Jan. 30, 2026, the West Allis Police Department responded to a vehicle with no plates and heavy damage. They said it had already run away from the Elm Grove Police Department. Officers reported two men got out, then jumped into an SUV and sped away. West Allis police said the SUV crashed on South 124th in Brookfield, and the two men ran away.
Officer Anton Best
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But, an officer caught up to one of the men.
Investigators said body camera footage shows three officers, not Best, were working to get handcuffs on the suspect, and the suspect said he was cooperating.
Prosecutors said Officer Anton Best then walked over to the suspect who was on his stomach on the ground. They said he was "hopping and then dropping down forcefully with his left knee on the right neck and right shoulder blade area of Victim A. Victim A grunted…"
Snippet of the criminal complaint
Prosecutors said an interaction was caught on camera.
The suspect asked another officer: "Did you make sure your foot was on my neck good?"
Prosecutors said Officer Best responded, "No, that was me, buddy."
Victim A then asked, "You take pride in that, right?"
And prosecutors said Best responded, "Sure do."
Snippet of the criminal complaint
Another officer reported the suspect complained of neck pain and appeared to have difficulty holding his head upright.
The complaint said another officer said he believed the action was unnecessary because the person was handcuffed, compliant, and had surrendered.
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West Allis Police Department
Brookfield investigation
The backstory:
The West Allis Police Department said it asked Brookfield to investigate, and Brookfield assigned an investigator on Feb. 2.
The West Allis Police Department placed the officer on desk duty while the investigation played out. Now that he is charged, West Allis has suspended the officer.
FOX6 called an attorney said to be representing the officer, but has not heard back.
FOX6 spoke to the person who lives at the home where this arrest took place. She said the person arrested came back later looking for his phone and necklace.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Jason Calvi and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from prosecutors, the West Allis Police Department, and the person who lives at the home where the chase ended.