'This is going to be a wrongful death suit': Attorney, former MPD officer, talks legal liability after Minneapolis ICE shooting

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The ICE shooting in Minneapolis is just days old and is already set of a fierce political debate.

The cell phone video of the shooting has been heavily scrutinized ever since it first hit social media.

Politically, it seems people see what they want to see: either a justified shooting by an officer who was in danger, or an unjustified shooting by an officer who escalated the situation.

On Thursday, Jan. 8, we spoke with an attorney who used to be a Milwaukee police officer about the legal responsibilities in this situation.

Vincent Bobot told us, "That person should not have been killed, plain and simple."

Bobot has watched the shooting video closely and said it clearly shows legal liability.

Bobot is an attorney at his law firm, Bobot Law Office. He said, "At a bare minimum. This is going to be a wrongful death suit against the United States government and those officers. That's a bare minimum."

Bobot served five years on an MPD tactical unit, policing riots, making traffic stops, and executing drug warrants.

He said training is clear on how to keep officers safe. "I know the manuals clearly tell you, you do not grab a door handle of a running car. You do not stand in front of a running car or even a car that's off. So that they should not have done."

Bobot said the federal agents in Minneapolis were not following procedure. But he said it's hard to know yet how much or how little training they received.

In Milwaukee, mayor Cavalier Johnson was among those criticizing the ice actions. "Our government, particularly our federal government, should not be escalating violence and making communities less safe."

Johnson said community conversations with local law enforcement, and demonstrations like those held in Milwaukee and across the country, are important to keeping communication open.

Johnson said, "Occupying cities and targeting immigrant communities simply does not make our communities safer."

Bobot also pointed to local law enforcement as an example to follow.

He said their community interaction and response is constant, and they learn quickly how to de-escalate situations. "Every day you're responding to those type of calls," Bobot said. "And you realize your job is to restore peace, keep order and have you know an outcome that's acceptable."

ICE has conducted operations in Milwaukee over the past year.

Mayor Johnson said he wants to work with federal partners to know when and how enforcement operations might be carried out.

On Thursday, he said there is no word from the administration, right now, that ICE is coming to the city of Milwaukee.