Body-worn camera footage released by Milwaukee police shows the moments before an officer shot and killed 23-year-old Printis Smith during a foot chase near 37th and Wright streets.
The footage, made public on Wednesday, begins with the officer pursuing a vehicle linked to a shots-fired investigation in Glendale. After the car stopped, two people ran from it and one suspect escaped.
Milwaukee police shooting footage released
The officer is seen leaving his patrol car and chasing Smith, repeatedly ordering him to get on the ground. After about 30 seconds, the officer catches up with him and appears to grab him while issuing another command.
The picture then cuts to black and the sound becomes muffled as the two come into close contact. Smith is subsequently shown lying motionless on the ground with a firearm in his hand.
Police said a second gun was found in Smith’s waistband and another weapon was recovered from the vehicle. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that Smith died at the scene.
The incident began on 8 September, when officers near 39th Street and Meinecke Avenue spotted a vehicle matching the description of one sought in connection with a shooting in Glendale. The driver failed to stop, prompting a short pursuit that ended near 37th and Wright.
Milwaukee police chief Jeffrey Norman said the officer repeatedly ordered Smith to surrender before the pair exchanged gunfire. The officer, a 35-year-old man with more than three years’ service, was taken to hospital with a non-fatal injury and later released.
He has been placed on administrative duty, a standard procedure following a police shooting. The Wauwatosa Police Department is leading the independent investigation, which will be reviewed by the Milwaukee County district attorney’s office.
Family disputes police account
B’Ivory LaMarr, a civil rights lawyer representing Smith’s family, said relatives who viewed the footage believed it contradicted the police description of the confrontation.
LaMarr said the family believed Smith had stopped with his back to the officer, who then reached for his shoulder before shooting him. The lawyer described the killing as a “cold killing” and said relatives did not see evidence of a shootout.
The Milwaukee Police Association rejected that account. Its president, Alex Ayala, said he had reviewed the officer’s body-worn camera footage and that it showed Smith fleeing with a gun, ignoring repeated commands and becoming involved in a close-range struggle.
Ayala said Smith still had the weapon in his hand immediately before the shooting and claimed his finger appeared to be engaging the trigger. He described the incident as a deadly confrontation involving an armed suspect.
The release of the footage comes as investigators continue to gather evidence and interview witnesses. No final findings have been announced about whether the officer’s use of deadly force was justified.
