The Milwaukee Police Association has rejected claims that the fatal Milwaukee police shooting of Printis Smith amounted to a “cold killing”, insisting body-worn camera footage shows the 23-year-old was holding a gun and engaged in a close-range struggle with an officer.
Smith was shot and killed on Tuesday, September 8, after officers pursued a vehicle in the area of North 39th Street and West Meinecke Avenue. Police said the car matched the description of one wanted in connection with a shots-fired incident in nearby Glendale.
Both occupants fled when the vehicle stopped near North 37th Street and West Wright Street. One person remains at large, while Smith was pursued by a 35-year-old officer to the 2400 block of North 37th Street, according to a Milwaukee Police Department report.
Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said Smith ignored repeated commands to get on the ground before exchanging gunfire with the officer. A firearm was recovered from Smith’s hand, another from his waistband and a third from the vehicle, police said.
Milwaukee police shooting claims disputed
Smith’s family has challenged that account after being shown body-camera footage. Their civil rights lawyer, B’Ivory LaMarr, said relatives believed the video showed Smith running with a gun but did not show him firing it.
LaMarr also said the family saw Smith stop with his back to the officer before the officer reached towards him and shot him in the head. The family is questioning whether the use of deadly force was reasonable and justified.
“They described it as being just a cold killing,” LaMarr said, adding that relatives had identified what they believed were discrepancies between the footage and earlier police statements.
Alex Ayala, president of the Milwaukee Police Association, said on Monday that he had personally reviewed the officer’s body-camera video. He said he would not interfere with the independent investigation or disclose footage that had not been publicly released, but accused the family and its lawyer of making false claims.
Ayala said the footage showed Smith fleeing with a gun, ignoring commands and becoming involved in a physical struggle with the officer. He added that, in the final visible image before the shooting, Smith still had the weapon in his hand and appeared to be engaging its trigger.
“Those facts directly contradict the narrative being presented by the family and its attorney,” Ayala said, describing the incident as a deadly confrontation with an armed man who had ignored police commands.
The officer was injured during the incident, treated at hospital and released. He has been placed on administrative duty, as is routine in officer-involved shootings.
Independent investigation under way
The Wauwatosa Police Department is leading the investigation through the Milwaukee Area Investigative Team, in line with Wisconsin requirements for fatal incidents involving law enforcement officers.
Investigators said they were still conducting interviews, gathering evidence and awaiting forensic processing. They warned that releasing further information prematurely could compromise the investigation and the independent review by the Milwaukee County district attorney’s office.
Milwaukee police said video connected to the shooting would be released in accordance with department policy. The footage is expected to provide the public with further evidence of the events leading up to Smith’s death.
