On Tuesday in Milwaukee, 38-year-old Joshua Wippert was shot and killed by police after a traffic stop for a vehicle registration violation led to a chase. Wippert, armed with a gun, did not comply with officers’ commands to drop it. Two officers, one with over 10 years of experience and another with over eight, shot him. He later died at the hospital. The officers are on administrative duty, and the Milwaukee Area Investigative Team, led by the Brookfield Police Department, is investigating. Body-camera video is expected to be released within 15 days, according to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Wippert's family has confirmed his identity to FOX6 News. His mother, who witnessed the chase and heard the gunshots, said he called her while fleeing and the pursuit ended near her home. She said Wippert was on parole for a 2019 armed robbery and had a gun during the incident, which violated his parole, but she did not see him point the gun at the officers.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson expressed relief that officers returned safely from the incident but underscored the dangers of an armed suspect fleeing police, saying, “Somebody fleeing officers with a gun, I think, is not a good combination that we want to have in the city of Milwaukee,” in a statement obtained by WISN. The 35‑year‑old passenger who escaped during the chase has since been arrested, though no charges have yet been referred, and the shooting has sparked renewed scrutiny of police procedures and use of force as the investigation continues.
