‘This is beyond a policing thing': Milwaukee mayor responds to Fourth of July weekend violence that injured 2 officers
Instagram: @flackoshahin MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- As two police officers recover from two separate incidents near some of Milwaukee’s most popular bar areas, city leaders say they are working to ensure public safety.
According to Milwaukee police, a 33-year-old female officer was injured from the blast of a firework near the Brady Street Walgreens just after midnight on Sunday, July 5. The incident was recorded on cellphone video obtained by CBS 58. The officer was sent to the hospital and is now at home recovering.
“To put our public servants in harm’s way, that is never OK,” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said on Monday, July 6. “It makes no sense to me when people decide to act badly on a holiday or any other day. There are so many better ways to resolve differences and to compose yourself in public than what we saw this weekend.”
Also, early Sunday morning, a Milwaukee police officer was hit by a car. The suspect, an 18-year-old, was shot by police and was later arrested.
“Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 is disheartened by the incidents that occurred on Water Street and elsewhere early Sunday morning,” said Matt Dorner, the CEO of Milwaukee Downtown BID #21, in a statement to CBS 58. “We wish the injured officers a quick and full recovery and thank all of Milwaukee’s police officers for their dedication in working to keep our entertainment districts safe.”
Johnson told the press he is working to invest in public safety and staff the police department through his budget. But ultimately, he says this issue takes members of the community to come together to make a change.
“This is beyond a policing thing,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to put this at the feet of the police department. Those folks who come down there and cause problems, they make a decision to do that.”
Less than two weeks ago, the Brady Street Business Improvement District launched a safety pilot program to address concerns about violence in the area. The plan would increase security, change weekend parking rules and add signage to the street.
However, some people who live in the area tell CBS 58 they aren’t sure if that is enough to address the issue.
“When you have a street like this where people are coming to drink and it's a party street, I don’t think you can do much to really calm down the actions of people,” said Charlie Berggren, who lives near Brady Street.” It’s going to be thousands of people on the street; you can’t really stop that by parking laws.”
CBS 58 reached out to the Brady Street Business Improvement District regarding the incident involving the injured officer due to a firework. As of Monday, our newsroom still has not received a response.
