“It hurts that we are here not because Dontre Hamilton was murdered by a police officer who is not being prosecuted, but because that officer wants his job back,” says Angela Nicole Walker who has been at the proceedings both days.

Protests have been ongoing for the past several months, including the arrest of 74 people who were attempting to shut down a highway in downtown Milwaukee after it was announced Manney would face no criminal charges.

Several dozen community members have shown up to the hearing, most sitting in an overflow room, to show solidarity with the Hamilton family.

Milwaukee Police have a long history of violence and Milwaukee is often listed one of the worst cities in the nation for police brutality. Just a couple examples in the past couple of years: officers let a young father of three die in the back of a squad car while begging for his life; conducted illegal anal cavity searches on the street; officers getting in trouble for raping (while on duty) and stalking community members; and punching and dragging a woman in custody by her hair out of a squad car. They are also responsible for the highest incarceration rate per capita of Black men in the country.

Entering the final hours of the hearing, supporters are hopeful Manney doesn't get his job back. They will continue their fight for Justice for Dontre Hamilton and others who are victims to police violence.

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #policeKilling #DontreHamilton #ChristopherManney

Milwaukee, WI – Hundreds of people rallied in downtown here, Dec. 22, after District Attorney John Chisholm released his decision to not pursue charges against former Milwaukee police officer, Christopher Manney, in the fatal shooting of Dontre Hamilton last April.

On April 30, Hamilton was sleeping on a bench in Milwaukee’s Red Arrow Park when nearby Starbucks employees called the police to report his presence. After other officers had determined Hamilton was not a threat and allowed him to remain where he was, then-officer Christoper Manney arrived, brutalized and killed him.

After the early morning District Attorney announcement, Hamilton family supporters congregated at Red Arrow Park, where Dontre Hamilton was shot 14 times by Manney. A silent, yet powerful march was led by organizers from Red Arrow Park to the stairs of the federal courthouse. The Hamilton family, lawyers and community leaders spoke to the press and supporters. They announced that they have asked for a federal investigation. Dontre’s brother, Nate Hamilton, spoke about the former cop who killed his brother, “On April 30 he took a 31-year-old’s life. He massacred my brother. He stood there and looked at him, sized him up and killed him with hate. He killed him with intent. And now he has the mental problem. The whole system has a mental problem!”

Nate then led the crowd in chanting, “Indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail! The whole damn system is guilty as hell!” After the media asked a few questions, supporters took to the streets chanting, “We’re peaceful, not calm!” and “Whose streets? Dontre’s streets!”

At a demonstration at Red Arrow Park, Dontre Hamilton’s mother said, “This is not Red Arrow Park anymore; it’s Dontre’s Park.”

Supporters of the Hamilton family will be meeting again at Dontre’s Park at 5:00 pm on Dec. 23 to express their outrage at the decision not to charge Manney with murder.

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #DontreHamilton

The first group, organized through the African American Roundtable, had 12 full cars go onto the highway in the north and south-bound lanes near downtown Milwaukee at 4:30 – the height of rush hour traffic. At a designated location, the cars fanned out and did not allow other cars to pass. Everyone then got out of their cars and shut down the highway for about 20 minutes chanting “Black lives matter!” and “No justice, no compromise!” When the sheriff's office finally made it to the protesters, the leader of the action told everyone to get back in their cars, with no arrests being made.

At the same time, a march being led by the Coalition for Justice, led by the Hamilton family, came from downtown to meet the other protesters who had shut down the highway. Two groups went on the north and south-bound on ramps while the rest of the march stayed on the street. Protesters were blocked on the ramp by the sheriff's department and 73 people were arrested.

Both groups then went to the First District police headquarters, protesting the arrests. A large police presence was outside, while over 100 people rallied.

They then moved to the county jail where protesters were taken after the arrests. A group of about 80 people stayed for several hours in freezing temperature. The group was energized and were chanting, singing and dancing.

At one point a confrontation happened between the protesters and the cops on the inside of the jail as they tried pulling one of the peaceful protesters inside the jail. The group outside was able to pull her to safety, but three officers pulled out their stun guns – that many in the crowd initially thought were guns – and the officers pulled her back and, in arresting her, slammed her her to the ground. As this was happening another officer came to the crowd with a large german shepherd that was barking uncontrollably.

About 20 officers with the sheriff's department then came and stood in a line at a nearby intersection, with some advancing towards the crowd. The crowd turned their full attention to the officers and started chanting “I don't see no riot here, take off that riot gear,” and “If we don't get no justice, you don't get no peace.”

After no arrests, the officers eventually left to the crowd singing “Nanana nananana, heeeeey goodbye.”

During this time, the police were giving information to the Hamilton family about those arrested. All of the information they provided was inaccurate as to when people were going to be released.

A large portion of the group left around 12:30 a.m. after they were told that the earliest people would be released was 6 a.m. A group of about 15 people stayed, including Nate Hamilton, Dontre's brother.

A lot of people came back in the morning, again waiting in the cold for several hours to show solidarity with those arrested and waiting for their loved ones to be released. After 26 hours every person arrested was released. Legally for this type of citation, the police are only supposed to legally hold people for four to six hours after having been booked.

Each person received two citations totaling about $700, with some people getting larger amounts for allegedly resisting arrest. The total cost is around $40,000. You can donate online to the citation fund here: https://www.crowdrise.com/coalitionforjustice-bailfund/fundraiser/thecaolitionforjusti

Though the police from the sheriff's office and the Milwaukee Police Department are threatening and trying to intimidate the protesters, they plan to keep up their actions. The National Guard has been called to Milwaukee, for the announcement of whether the killer cop will be indicted or will walk free like too many other police officers have.

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #DontreHamilton #BlackLivesMatter

Milwaukee, WI – Hundreds marched through downtown Milwaukee, Dec. 4, led by the family of Dontre Hamilton, who was killed by a Milwaukee Police officer earlier this year. Community members held signs saying “I am Eric Garner.”

The march shut down Wisconsin Avenue, as demonstrators chanted, “The cops in your hood ain't no good. The cops in my hood ain't no good!”

For several months, protesters have been gathering regularly demanding Dontre Hamilton's murderer, former Milwaukee Police officer Christopher Manney, be arrested. Manny was recently fired after protesters occupied City Hall and the Milwaukee Police Department offices.

Dontre Hamilton – who was mentally ill – was sleeping on a park bench in the shadow of City Hall when he was approached by Manney and shot 14 times. Autopsy results released publicly this week revealed that some of the shots entered Hamilton's body as he was laying face down on the ground.

Supporters of Dontre Hamilton ended their march at the Police and Fire Commission meeting, which was taking place at the Milwaukee County Library. Protesters surrounded a group of police officers who were there in support of Manney. Both sides spoke to the commission. Hamilton supporters drew connections to the grand jury decisions in the killings of Mike Brown and Eric Garner, which failed to indict police for the murders. Protesters demanded Manney be charged for killing Dontre Hamilton.

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #EricGarner #DontreHamilton