MCMEO identifies man who was fatally shot by Milwaukee police on south side

Updated: 06/01/2021 08:07 AM

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office (MCMEO) identified the 49-year-old man who was shot and killed by a Milwaukee police officer off a porch on Milwaukee's south side Sunday night, May 30.

On Tuesday, June 1, Roberto Zielinski was identified by MCMEO. 

Zielinski was allegedly firing shots near 29th and Cleveland around 10:30 p.m. Sunday.

Milwaukee police say officers arrived at the home, heard shots and saw an armed man, now identified Zielinski, on the front porch. Police say he went to the back porch and fired more shots. The release says the officers gave verbal commands to drop the gun, and Zielinski refused.

One officer, a 47-year-old veteran with more than six years of service, shot and killed the man on the porch. The officer has been placed on administrative leave.

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Published: 05/31/2021 04:17 AM

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A Milwaukee police officer shot and killed a man they say was firing shots off a porch on Milwaukee's south side Sunday night, May 30. 

According to the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), someone called police about a person firing shots near 29th and Cleveland around 10:30 p.m.

Milwaukee police say officers arrived at the home, heard shots and saw an armed man on the front porch. Police say the person went to the back porch and fired more shots. The release says the officers gave verbal commands to drop the gun, and the 49-year-old man on the porch refused.

Leah Brito said she arrived home around 10 p.m. to her sister, who informed her a man had been screaming from his porch. They thought he had calmed down.

“And then all of the sudden there were a couple gunshots, and you know, we’re all familiar with guns, so we got our kids inside.”

One officer, a 47-year-old veteran with more than six years of service, shot and killed the man on the porch. MPD says they recovered the suspect's gun. No other officers fired their weapons and no one else was hurt.

Neighbors say they were very confused by the suspect's outburst of anger and tried to calm him down. 

"He comes out and he’s just screaming," Brito said. "At first you couldn’t even hear what he was saying, and then it turned into somebody stole from him, or he was accusing it, and everybody is so confused, nobody knows what’s going on. Then my sister engaged him and was screaming at him. He was just telling her, 'well what would you do?' And she’s like, 'well not shoot up the neighborhood that you live in with kids.'"

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett called the incident a tragedy.

“Whenever there is a lost life, obviously there is a tragedy involved," Barrett said. "The reports I heard was the individual did have a gun and that’s why the police responded. But nobody likes to see a life lost.”

Neighbors said that type of violence is uncommon in the area.

“This has never happened," neighbor Donald Bennett said. "I’ve never seen anything like this since I’ve been living here. I mean, this is unusual.”

MPD says they recovered the suspect's gun. No other officers fired their weapons and no one else was hurt.

The Waukesha Police Department is now handling the investigation. 

The officer has been placed on administrative leave.