A downtown Milwaukee traffic stop turned violent on Sunday when a rookie police officer was hit by a car and officers opened fire on the fleeing vehicle, injuring the teenage driver, according to Milwaukee Police.
Police said the officer, a 25-year-old with less than a year on the job, was struck by the car in the downtown area and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver, an 18-year-old man, was also taken to a hospital, treated for gunshot wounds and later arrested.
Officers later found the vehicle unoccupied near North 12th Street and West Walnut Street, and investigators said firearms were recovered at the scene. Milwaukee's homicide unit has taken over the investigation, a standard move for a shooting involving officers that signals the department is treating the case as a serious use-of-force incident.
What police say happened downtown
According to Milwaukee Police, three officers fired at the vehicle as it sped away. Those officers will be placed on administrative duty while the case is reviewed, in keeping with department practice.
Before the encounter with the car, officers reported hearing gunfire near North Water Street and East Knapp Street. Not long after, two other people showed up at local hospitals with gunshot wounds. Police said it was not immediately clear whether those injuries were connected to the downtown incident.
Investigators said they recovered one firearm inside the car and another nearby. The driver was struck by gunfire, taken to a nearby hospital and arrested, according to WISN.
How MPD handles the investigation
The Milwaukee Police Homicide Unit is leading the probe, and detectives remained on scene collecting evidence after the streets calmed down. The department routinely places officers involved in shootings on administrative duty while both criminal and administrative reviews move forward.
Milwaukee Police say the department's video-release policy outlines when body camera and dash camera footage may be released to the public. Past MPD press releases, later republished by local outlets, note that video is generally released under Standard Operating Procedure 575 within an expected timeframe, although each case is handled individually, according to MPD press materials.
Water Street violence adds to safety concerns
The confrontation unfolded near a stretch of downtown that has been on edge for months. The Water Street corridor has seen a string of violent incidents this year, including a March shooting near Water and Knapp that left one man dead and others wounded, a pattern that has fueled calls for more weekend safety patrols.
Coverage of those earlier incidents and community reaction was summarized locally in Water Street night turns deadly.
Police are asking anyone with video or information about the downtown encounter to contact the Milwaukee Police Department or Crime Stoppers. Investigators said the probe is ongoing and that additional details will be released as they become available. Prosecutors are expected to review the evidence once detectives finish their on-scene work and follow-up interviews.
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