In the News

By Ashley Luthern

Congresswoman Gwen Moore and Sen. Tammy Baldwin have sent a letter expressing concern about the slow pace of the federal review into the fatal officer-involved shooting death of Dontre Hamilton to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

The letter comes one week after Hamilton's family publicly expressed the same frustration.

Hamilton, 31, was shot on April 30, 2014, during a struggle with officer Christopher Manney, a 13-year department veteran who was fired in October after an internal investigation determined he did not follow department rules in the moments leading up to the shooting.

After reviewing reports provided by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm declined in December to issue charges, determining Manney's use of force was justified self-defense. The same day, U.S. Attorney James Santelle confirmed the U.S. Department of Justice would undertake a federal review of the case.

Moore and Baldwin called on the federal Justice Department to "expedite" that review, as well as a federal "pattern and practice" review of the Milwaukee Police Department.

"We believe tangible progress on these federal investigations will help to restore trust between the Milwaukee Police Department and the broader community," they wrote.

The Hamilton family was actively involved in the letter and hopes it prods the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division to act, said attorney Jonathan Safran, who represents the family.

"The family's obviously very, very frustrated at this point," Safran said Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday, a Milwaukee County Board committee approved creating a task force to develop a plan and design for a memorial within Red Arrow Park to honor Hamilton.

The measure was introduced by Supervisor Khalif Rainey, who in January had offered — and soon after dropped — a proposal to rename the park as Dontre Hamilton Square to memorialize both the man and the need for more community mental health services.

"Red Arrow Park belongs to the Red Arrow infantry division.... But I want to recognize what happened at the park," Rainey said at the time.

When Rainey brought up the resolution on Tuesday, which was co-sponsored by Gerry Broderick, he asked committee members for compassion.

"We have an opportunity to memorialize a tragic event," he said.

To view this article online, please click here.