Milwaukee Common Council approves $2.3 million settlement for Dontre Hamilton family

 

Milwaukee’s Common Council has taken the next steps in reaching a settlement with the family of Dontre Hamilton. Hamilton was shot and killed in Milwaukee's Red Arrow Park nearly three years ago.

The settlement is worth $2.3 million.

At Wednesday's Common Council meeting the settlement had to pass through two hurdles. The item was twice on the agenda, once to authorize up to $2.3 million dollars of 2017 contingent budget to fund the settlement in the lawsuit and again to authorize the $2.3 million settlement to the family of Dontre Hamilton. 

The first item passed unanimously.

Alderman Bob Donovan was the only alderman to abstain from the vote on the second item. He says he’s talked with several police officers about the actions of former Milwaukee Police officer Christopher Manney who fired the fatal shots. Donovan says those police officers told him they would have likely acted in the same manner. Donovan felt like a yay vote would say that Manney,

Manney was cleared of any wrong doing, but was fired from the police department for not following protocol.

Several of the Alderpersons spoke out in support of the settlement.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has ten days to veto the council’s decision before the settlement is final.

According to a statement from the lawyer for the Hamilton family, Jon Safran, the family's proceeds from the settlement will be placed in a fund that Dontre Hamilton's son will receive after he becomes an adult.

None of Dontre Hamilton's other family members including his mother, brothers or the mother of Dontre's son will receive any of the settlement money.