WAUWATOSA, Wis. — The city of Wauwatosa is preparing for the anticipated decision from the Milwaukee district attorney on whether or not to charge Officer Joseph Mensah with criminal charges in the fatal shooting of a teenager.
Mensah fatally shot 17-year-old Alvin Cole on Feb. 2 this year outside Mayfair Mall. Wauwatosa police said Cole was shot when mall security said they saw him with a gun and he ran from the police. Law enforcement said there is no body camera footage of the incident.
Cole's family has since called for the police department to require body cams. The Wauwatosa Common Council unanimously approved a plan for the department to get body cameras at a Tuesday evening meeting.
Here are updates as they come in:
8:24 p.m. Protestors are active tonight. Our reporters are on the ground.
6:40 p.m. Sen. Baldwin released the following statement:
5:38 p.m. Wauwatosa released the following statement:
5:14 p.m. The family's attorney reiterates that the DA never said the shooting was justified.
5:13 p.m. The City of Wauwatosa is under curfew between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. starting tonight. The curfew will end at 6 a.m. on Oct. 12.
5:10 p.m. The Wauwatosa Mayor, Dennis McBride, released a pre-recorded video statement on the decision. No reporters were able to ask questions of the chief.
Courtesy of Wauwatosa Police Department.
All Wauwatosa police policies and procedures have been uploaded to the website and are available to the public to view. All officers are being trained in implicit bias. Six officers were trained in crisis intervention this year. Body cameras are going to be implemented for the force by Jan. 2021.
4:55 p.m. The DA says Mensah will not be charged in fatal Cole shooting.
"In this case there is suffiecient evidence that Officer Mensah had an actual subjective belief that deadly force was necessary and that belief was objectively reasonable. I do not believe that the Sate could disprove self-defense or defense of others in this case and therefore could not meet the burden required to charge Officer Mensah. With this I conclude my criminal review of the matter," DA John Chisholm says in a statement.
3:56 p.m. The National Guard is on standby as people wait to hear the official decision.
3:00 p.m. The family has arrived to meet with the DA to hear the decision. The decision will not be announced to the public until after the family is fully informed.
The crowds outside seem to be showing support to Cole's family.
2:37 p.m. The family is expected to meet with the DA at 3 p.m. A crowd is beginning to form.
1:55 p.m. Milwaukee Co. to close courthouse at 2 p.m. ahead of potential charges for suspended Officer Joseph Mensah.
The Milwaukee County Executive Office says it will also close the following buildings at 2:00 p.m. today in wake of the decision: The Safety Building, Criminal Justice Facility.
“This has been a one-of-a-kind summer for County residents and employees alike as we continue to battle two pandemics: COVID-19 and the effects of generations of systemic racism. In anticipation of today’s decision, I encourage County employees to use the early closure to continue to heal from the trauma of the last seven months and reflect on the County’s stated goals of achieving racial equity and becoming the healthiest county in the state,” said County Executive David Crowley.
1:20 p.m. Wisconsin National Guard mobilized to support civil authorities in Wauwatosa.
Gov. Tony Evers authorized the Wisconsin National Guard to support local law enforcement authorities in Wauwatosa after officials there requested the Guard’s assistance to help ensure public safety.
12:00 p.m. A former U.S. attorney and independent investigator hired by the Wauwatosa Fire and Police Commission has recommended Officer Joseph Mensah be fired.
“I have proposed that Officer Mensah be terminated for the violations set forth herin” He added, “In order to properly perform as a Wauwatosa Police Officer, Officer Mensah must be capable of performing all designated duties, including those involving the use of deadly force. Yet that would mean that Officer Mensah is authorized to use deadly force for a fourth time, a situation creating extraordinary, unwarranted and unnecessary risk to the Wauwatosa Police Department and the City of Wauwatosa.”
Check back in here for more updates later today. Here's additional details on the background of this story:
This was Mensah’s third fatal shooting over five years; the deaths of Jay Anderson and Antonio Gonzalez were deemed justified in self-defense.
In Wauwatosa, the school district will transition to virtual learning for the rest of this week.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel obtained a letter sent to parents in the district. It told them students will be learning from home for the duration of the week, and that the normal schedule will resume Monday.
Additionally, no recreational or after school activities will happen at the building until normal schedules resume.
The Cole family and their supporters are calling for Mensah to be fired and charged with the death of Alvin. The Wauwatosa police and fire commission in July voted to suspend Mensah effective immediately until the decision came down.