In a press conference after the shooting, a MPD spokesperson claimed that the victim was in possession of a gun. He did not specify whether the victim shot or even aimed the gun, but that he did not drop it when instructed to do so. Sometime afterward, the police who had pursued him fired their own weapons, striking the man an as-of-yet unknown number of times. He was transferred to an area hospital where he later died from the gunshot wounds.

Those who gathered around the crime scene say that there was another person shot, a 15-year-old, but nothing was mentioned of this possible second victim in the press conference conducted by the MPD.

This would mark the third (and possibly fourth) murder at the hands of Milwaukee police this summer alone. They shot and killed Roberto Zielinski on Memorial Day weekend, then on August 16 they shot and killed Brodrick Shelton, and now this unnamed 33-year-old man ten days later.

This is an emerging story and Fight Back! will have more coverage as details are released.

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #MilwaukeePoliceDepartmentMPD

In a press conference after the shooting, a MPD spokesperson claimed that the victim was in possession of a gun. He did not specify whether the victim shot or even aimed the gun, but that he did not drop it when instructed to do so. Sometime afterward, the police who had pursued him fired their own weapons, striking the man an as-of-yet unknown number of times. He was transferred to an area hospital where he later died from the gunshot wounds.

Those who gathered around the crime scene say that there was another person shot, a 15-year-old, but nothing was mentioned of this possible second victim in the press conference conducted by the MPD.

This would mark the third (and possibly fourth) murder at the hands of Milwaukee police this summer alone. They shot and killed Roberto Zielinski on Memorial Day weekend, then on August 16 they shot and killed Brodrick Shelton, and now this unnamed 33-year-old man ten days later.

This is an emerging story and Fight Back! will have more coverage as details are released.

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #MilwaukeePoliceDepartmentMPD

“MPD is known to lie about these types of things, especially when they’ve killed someone,” said Lauryn Cross, co-chair of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. “Regardless of what happened, we have another situation where police brought it upon themselves to be judge, jury and executioner all at once. Roderick will never get a chance to tell his story, and these cops will spin a narrative that gets them off free of charge. Enough is enough.”

The Milwaukee Alliance spent time listening to family members and close friends of Shelton. The people that the Alliance spoke with reported that he had schizophrenia and said they had no idea where he would even get a gun, claiming that he never had a gun before. A cousin of Shelton reported that she has the video of what went down, but as of the writing of this article it has not been made public.

In Wisconsin, outside agents must investigate crimes involving the police murdering someone. This is a result of the Michael Bell Law passed in 2014, ten years after the murder of Bell at the hands of Kenosha police. So far for the victims of police killings since 2014, this has meant other police departments investigating the crime. The word is that the Wauwatosa Police Department will be handling the investigation of Shelton’s murder. The WPD was recently in national news with the announcement that there is probable cause to file murder charges against former employee and serial killer Joseph Mensah, now an employee of the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department.

We may not have all of the information yet, but one thing that the family and local groups can agree on is the fact that he didn't deserve to die. Fight Back! will have more coverage of this story as it develops.

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #MilwaukeePoliceDepartmentMPD #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #RoderickSheltonJr

Milwaukee, WI – On the night of May 30, Milwaukee police responded to a call alleging gunshots were fired outside a home near 29th Street and Cleveland Avenue on the city’s South Side. Upon arrival, police claim to have heard additional gunshots before spotting a man with a gun on the front porch of the home referenced in the emergency call.

The man, later identified as Roberto Zielinski, retreated to the back porch where the cops allege more shots were fired. Police say Zielinski disregarded commands to drop his weapon. At this point, an unidentified MPD officer shot and killed Zielinski. The officer, a six-year veteran at MPD, has since been placed on paid administrative leave for the duration of the investigation.

People in the neighborhood where Zielinski was murdered said they only heard one set of gunshots, and it came from the police.

The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression held a press conference with members of the Zielinski family on the morning of June 6 outside Milwaukee Police District Six to demand the immediate release of the bodycam video.

Jacob Gonzalez, Zielinski’s nephew, stated, “The stress and emotions that my family has right now is at an all-time high. We all just really looked at each other and said, ‘we’ve got to know what’s going on because I can’t think my uncle would do anything like this.’”

Similar sentiments were expressed by Jessica Zielinski, Roberto’s sister-in-law, who reiterated the family’s desire for the bodycam footage to be released in order to know what happened on the night of May 30. It is a week since Zielinski murder and the footage has yet to be released.

“It is ridiculous to think that the city funds body cameras, supposedly for transparency, and the public has to jump through hoops to have access to body camera footage. Holding on to the footage for too long gives the public the impression that the police are working on a coverup. And they aren’t wrong for assuming so,” said Omar Flores, co-chair of the Milwaukee Alliance.

Flores continued, “Rumors are dangerous for both the police department and the public. Releasing the footage will put an end to rumors and put a spotlight on the truth.”

The Milwaukee Alliance unites with the Zielinski family’s demands for transparency from Milwaukee Police Department and for the bodycam footage to be released immediately. Fight Back! will continue to provide coverage of the situation as it develops.

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #MilwaukeePoliceDepartmentMPD #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #RobertoZielinski

Milwaukee residents came to this meeting with concern about the amount of money being allotted to the Milwaukee Police Department. Most who spoke requested that elected officials put funding into services such as street repair, clean drinking water, and neighborhood services.

Paul Spink, state president of the American Federation of State, City, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) put forth concern on behalf of the members he represents. “We are choosing not to invest in our neighborhoods and our children, and this budget ignores the fact that this community depends on far more than one department in this city,” Spink said.

Billy Spencer, the owner of Spencer Renovation & Construction, talked about the neighborhood services program that helped benefit the uptown community in Milwaukee, and how officials should continue to invest in these programs. Spencer had construction workers standing with him while explaining that the program “gives them the opportunity to enter into the construction industry, to earn a good salary, to learn a trade, take care of their families, help clean up the neighborhood while working within their own neighborhoods and staying out of trouble.” A couple of workers standing with Spencer gave their own testimony, expressing how this program has helped change their lives.

“I speak for all the mothers and children in Milwaukee when I say we want to be lead free,” said Diana Branch, a mother with a child suffering from high lead toxicity as a result of the old pipes found all over the city.

Branch and other residents in the audience held signs asking the city officials to invest in the Birthing Moms Pilot Project, an initiative that helps educate mothers and children about lead toxicity and how to prevent lead poisoning.

Melody McCurtis, a representative of the Metcalfe Park Community Bridges organization, spoke out about housing issues in her residential area. She called for the development of community-owned housing, citing the run-down apartment units on the northside and their high rents.

“Me and my community pay anywhere from $800 to $1200 in rent for housing that should be condemned. There is no rent cap in the city of Milwaukee. Landlords are not held accountable at all,” McCurtis said.

According to the city of Milwaukee’s government website, the finance and personnel committee meets various days at 9 a.m. to discuss budget hearings. Live videos are available online for public audiences to watch. Various groups from around Milwaukee plan to continue applying pressure on the council and Mayor Tom Barrett leading into November when the budget is set to be finalized.

#MilwaukeeWI #Labor #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #AFSCME #Antiracism #MilwaukeePoliceDepartmentMPD #milwaukeeCityCouncil

Vaun L. Mayes is a leading activist in Milwaukee’s African American community facing serious felony charges in what many consider a frame-up by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (the ATF) and Milwaukee Police Department (MPD).

On June 5, 60 supporters applauded in federal court as Mayes was released from custody after a hearing. Mayes is facing three charges, including attempted arson. While federal prosecutors claim Mayes tried to organize people to throw rocks at police and firebomb a police station, they also say he never acted on the plans. It was also revealed in court there are at least two government informants involved.

Mayes alleged crimes took place after the MPD shooting of Sylville Smith, a 23-year-old African American man who was running away from police. Smith’s murder by police sparked the Sherman Park uprising, in which a BP gas station was burned to the ground and police lost control for three days, starting on August 13, 2016.

At the time, the MPD said Smith pointed a gun at officer Dominique Heaggan-Brown. Protesters demanded the release of police body camera footage and it revealed that Milwaukee police lied to the public. It showed that Smith had thrown a weapon to the ground before officer Heaggan-Brown shot him in the arm, and then the officer fatally shot Smith on the ground.

Officer Heaggan-Brown was charged, but then acquitted, in the murder of Smith.

In the two years since the Sherman Park uprising, the MPD and federal agencies have had little success in filing charges against people involved in the protests. So the U.S. government is resorting to a frame up.

Mayes is a well-respected activist and youth mentor. He is targeted because he is an unapologetic fighter against police crimes and the oppression of African Americans. Mayes was one of the leaders in the high profile movement to hold MPD accountable for the killing of Dontre Hamilton in 2014. Mayes works tirelessly for the residents in Milwaukee’s African American community, which suffers from some of the highest poverty and incarceration rates of any major U.S. city.

The charges against Vaun Mayes are an attempt to target activist leaders who speak out and organize people against the Milwaukee Police and their crimes. We need your help to defend Vaun Mayes and to hold police accountable, to end there lies, cover-ups and crimes.

The CSFR is asking you to stand in solidarity with Vaun L. Mayes and demand “Drop the charges now!”

Be ready for future calls to action in the campaign to “Drop the charges now!”

#NewYork #AfricanAmerican #Antiracism #Milwaukee #SylvilleSmith #VaunLMayes #MilwaukeePoliceDepartmentMPD