Milwaukee officer shoots armed 17-year-old carrying rifle after shots-fired call

A Milwaukee police officer shot and injured a masked teenager armed with a rifle on 30 September. The 17-year-old was hospitalised with non-fatal injuries.

Milwaukee teen shot by officer after refusing to drop rifle on south side

A Milwaukee police officer shot and injured a 17-year-old boy carrying a rifle on the evening of 30 September, according to the Milwaukee Police Department. jsonline.com reports that officers were responding to a shots-fired call when the incident unfolded in the city's south side.

The call came in at around 9:21 p.m. near the 1500 block of West Greenfield Avenue. Residents flagged down arriving officers and directed them toward a group of people on dirt bikes leaving the area. Police followed the group to an alley in the 700 block of West Scott Street.

There, officers spotted a masked teenager carrying a rifle who immediately began to run. An officer ordered the teen multiple times to drop the weapon. The teen did not comply, and the officer discharged his firearm, striking the boy.

The 17-year-old was transported to a local hospital with non-fatal injuries. A rifle was recovered at the scene next to him.

The officer involved is 26 years old and has served more than three years with the Milwaukee Police Department. He has been placed on administrative duty, standard procedure following an officer-involved shooting.

Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said investigators were still working to determine whether the teen was connected to the original shots-fired call and whether others in the group were armed. Police were also examining the rifle, including whether it had been stolen.

"We have another young adult in our community handling a firearm. This is unacceptable," Norman said. "This is a school night. There's no reason why our children should be out in these streets misbehaving in a way that is absolutely damaging not only to our community, but to oneself."

When asked why the teenager may have had the rifle, Norman said investigators did not yet have an answer. "I didn't play with rifles at 17 on a school night. I was in bed," he added.

Norman urged the wider community to take greater responsibility in steering young people away from dangerous behaviour. "We need to step up. All of us need to step up," he said.

The Milwaukee Police Department's Homicide Division is handling the investigation. Any charges against the suspect will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office. Video footage related to the shooting will be released within 15 days, in line with departmental policy on officer-involved shootings.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)