'It was unreal': Witnesses react to gunfire that left 3 police officers injured

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- People who live and work in the area where three police officers were injured on Thursday were shocked by the events.

"The initial reaction is to duck, right? And hit the floor, and then I tried to record a couple of things, but I was trying to duck at the same time," Micheal Perez said.

At about 10:15 Thursday morning, Sept. 5, officers from MPD's Special Investigations Division came to an apartment building on 91st Street. They had a warrant for a 35-year-old man who was wanted for several crimes. But he did not surrender. 

Perez was in the parking lot of his job, Adult Teen Challenge on 91st and Custer, when he and his coworkers heard Milwaukee police officers breaking glass to enter through the apartment's windows.

“As they were breaking, that's when I heard five or six shots," Perez said.

Shortly after 11:30, the suspect shot at officers and four officers fired back. Three officers suffered non-life-threatening "graze wounds." The suspect was also injured, though police have not confirmed whether he was shot.

Perez was able to capture cellphone video as he ducked and tells CBS 58 it was a very scary moment for him.

"It was unreal. You hear gunshots outside here, but you know, to hear it in the daytime was unreal," he said.

Perez and others were unable to leave the area for hours after the incident and police continued their investigation.