Milwaukee, WI – On Friday, July 29, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression held a press conference with the family of Brieon Green, a 21-year-old African American male who died last month at Milwaukee County Jail hours after his arrest. The Milwaukee Alliance joined Green’s family to voice the following demands:

-- The public release of all the officers’ names who arrested Green and handled his booking

-- The release of the body camera footage of all seven officers who interacted with Green during his arrest inside the county jail

-- The release of the footage from street cameras that captured Green’s arrest

-- The release of the footage from the squad car in which Green was arrested

-- The release of the footage from the cameras inside the county jail to ensure that Green was booked, medically cleared, and alive prior to being jailed

-- Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson to open an investigation into suicide prevention and conditions within Milwaukee County Jail

An entire month has passed since Green’s death, and his family has yet to receive any clear answers as to why and how he died. Green’s family deserves to know what happened, but the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office is refusing to be transparent. Issues around transparency are not uncommon for law enforcement in Milwaukee, according to Brian Verdin, member of the Milwaukee Alliance and emcee of the event.

Verdin reminded the audience about the long history of similar cases in Milwaukee – cases like those of Ernest Lacy from over 41 years ago and Keishon Thomas from April of this year. In these cases, the people of Milwaukee demanded transparency and accountability. It’s no different today. Transparency and accountability remain crucial demands for families who’ve lost loved ones to police violence and to the Milwaukee Alliance.

“Too often, African American families are burying their children prematurely at the hands of law enforcement. It needs to stop,” said Forrest Brewer, the representative of Brieon Green’s family. “We should feel safe, as African Americans, [when] dealing with people who are assigned to protect us.”

Monique Dunlap, Green’s aunt, also spoke at the press conference. Dunlap listed the demands of the family and the Milwaukee Alliance and said that transparency is required in this case. Omar Flores, co-chair of the Milwaukee Alliance, brought up the connection between Green’s death and Thomas’s death in April.

“The Thomas family had to suffer, waiting for footage related to his death. They waited 45 days for closure, and when they got the footage, it was edited and didn’t really show anything. This is because, according to the police investigating the case, they didn’t want to look bad. The DA and FPC must create policies that guarantee the transparency of the activities of law enforcement, especially when someone is harmed,” Flores said.

After speakers at the press conference finished, the energy and size of the crowd compelled the family and the Milwaukee Alliance to march from the courthouse to the front steps of the county jail. The police and sheriffs made their presence felt, but the Milwaukee Alliance ensured that the situation wouldn’t escalate. The action showed that the community supports the demands for transparency and accountability. The Milwaukee Alliance stands in full solidarity with Green’s family and will continue to assist them in their fight for justice.

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