MILWAUKEE, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS)— Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales issues his first response to directives given to him by the fire and police commission.

In a detailed report, Morales responds to the police and fire commissions directive given to him a week ago.

”Over the course of the past several months, there have been at least 100 protests that have occurred within the city of Milwaukee," Alfonso Morales says. "There have been six instances where members of the Milwaukee Police Department have had to use oleoresin capsicum spray to disperse unruly crowds." 

Throughout the presentation on use of chemical agents during civil disturbances, videos are shown of all six disturbances in order to help justify the department's use of chemical irritants. Four out of the six times chemical irritants were used were outside police districts.

“Citizens continued with their rioting behavior, multiple shots were fired, businesses were beginning to be looted in that immediate area. In addition to that, large chunks of concrete, debris, bricks and fireworks were thrown at officers. After those announcements were made giving citizens who wanted to comply time to comply, then that point in time oleoresin capsicum gas along with CS gas we deployed,” Milwaukee Police Assistant Chief, Michael Brunson says.

Throughout each scenario, Brunson explains how things such as bricks, debris, water bottles, and other miscellaneous items were thrown at officers. There were reckless driving and looting taking place during the times the department used such chemicals.

Now, as tensions between the fire and police commission and Morales rise, an open letter to Mayor Barrett was sent by community members in hopes he will step in a shut down the directives.

“We need to have full transparency in those departments. We need to fix the systematic problems that we are facing in those departments that are affecting qualified individuals from performing and doing their jobs,” Teresa Mercado, executive director of the Wisconsin Hispanics Scholarship Foundation says.

She says they are looking for transparency and clarity into the process the chief is going through in hopes members of the community can step in and support him during this time.

Interested in watching the full video issued by Morales? Click HERE.