A 17-year-old was shot in the leg by Milwaukee police after officers followed a group of dirt bikes from a reported shooting near 15th Street and West Greenfield Avenue to an alley close to 7th and Scott Street.
The Milwaukee police shooting happened at about 9.30pm on Wednesday, September 30, after officers were called to reports of shots fired at around 9.21pm. Residents directed them towards dirt bikes leaving the area, according to the police department.
Officers followed the bikes and saw a masked suspect carrying a rifle as he ran through an alley, police said. The teenager was shot after allegedly failing to comply with commands to drop the weapon.
He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. No police officers were injured.
The officer who fired the shot is a 26-year-old man with more than three years’ service. He has been placed on administrative duty, a routine step while an officer-involved shooting is investigated.
Milwaukee Police Department’s Homicide Division is leading the investigation, and potential charges against the teenager will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said the incident highlighted concerns about young people carrying firearms, adding that the community needed to do more to prevent children becoming involved in violence.
