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U.S. NEWS Monday 12 June 2017
Ex-cop goes on trial in killing that ignited Milwaukee riots

over, police had arrested on the north side and at-
about 40 demonstrators tended grade school not
and multiple police officers far from the shooting.
were hurt. His career with the depart-
The violence mirrored the ment was short and some-
unrest that followed the kill- what rocky. He joined in
ings of black men by police 2010 as an aide, handling
in other cities, including the mostly administrative and
deaths of Michael Brown clerical duties as part of a
in Ferguson, Missouri, and program aimed at recruit-
Freddie Gray in Baltimore. It ing young people into law
also brought to the surface enforcement.
the long-simmering tension His personnel file showed
between black Milwaukee several internal investiga-
residents and the police tions, though many allega-
department. tions against him were rela-
Just two years earlier, a tively minor and were re-
This undated file photo provided by the Milwaukee County Sher- white police officer shot solved with orders to review
iff’s Office shows Milwaukee police officer Dominique Heag- and killed an unarmed, department ethics policies.
gan-Brown. Jury selection kicks off Monday, June 12, 2017 in the mentally ill black man who When Heaggan-Brown was
trial for Heaggan-Brown, whose fatal shooting of Sylville Smith, a had been sleeping in a fired in October, it was not
black man, in August 2016 sparked two nights of rioting on the
city’s north side. Heaggan-Brown is charged with first-degree downtown park. The officer because of Smith’s shoot-
reckless homicide in Smith’s death. was fired for improper pro- ing but because of alle-
(Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office via AP) cedure in frisking the man, gations that he sexually
but was not charged. assaulted a man he had
By IVAN MORENO Prosecutors say Smith fell THE OFFICER been drinking with the day
Associated Press and Heaggan-Brown shot Heaggan-Brown had roots after Smith’s death. q
MILWAUKEE (AP) — A for- him once in the arm as he
mer Milwaukee police offi- was getting up, still hold-
cer whose fatal shooting of ing the weapon while fac-
a black man last year ignit- ing the officer. They say
ed riots on the city’s north Heaggan-Brown’s second
side goes on trial this week. shot, which hit Smith in the
Dominique Heaggan- chest, came after Smith
Brown, who is also black, is had thrown his gun over a
charged with first-degree fence.
reckless homicide in the Less than two seconds
death of Sylville Smith, 23. passed between the two
Heaggan-Brown’s police shots.
career has already ended. Heaggan-Brown, 25, said
He was fired two months he thought Smith was
after the shooting when he reaching for another gun
was charged in an unrelat- in his waistband when he
ed sexual assault case. fired again. But Milwau-
The trial, which starts Mon- kee County District Attor-
day with jury selection, will ney John Chisholm said
bring the first public look video of the incident shows
at body-camera video of Smith was unarmed and
the moments after Heag- reached for his waistband
gan-Brown and his partner only after he was shot a
pulled over a car on Aug. second time.
13, 2016. The video may Milwaukee Police Chief
help jurors decide whether Edward Flynn has said he
Heaggan-Brown had rea- believes the shooting was
son to fear for his life when justified. He said Chisholm’s
he fired his weapon or decision was “a little dif-
whether he was shooting a ficult to understand” and
helpless man who was no that “the officer doesn’t
longer armed. get to act in slow motion.”
An overview of the case’s Heaggan-Brown faces up
key elements and the to 60 years in prison if con-
events surrounding it: victed.
THE SHOOTING THE AFTERMATH
Heaggan-Brown and his Within hours, demonstra-
partner stopped a rental tors flocked to Sherman
car that police say was Park — a largely minority
driving suspiciously in Sher- neighborhood — and be-
man Park, a neighborhood gan throwing rocks, bricks,
about 10 minutes north- and bottles at police of-
west of downtown. As soon ficers. That night and the
as the car stopped, police next, protesters burned
say Smith ran away holding eight businesses and a po-
a gun. lice squad car. When it was