Chief Edward A. Flynn Statement on Fatal Crashes

Milwaukee Police Department
Office of Media and Communications

CITY OF MILWAUKEE POLICE DEPARTMENT

CHIEF EDWARD A. FLYNN STATEMENT ON FATAL CRASHES

January 2, 2010 - I would like to express my condolences to the families of Shanica Adkins, Donte Pearson and Don Hamilton, as well as to let the families of those victims, including Donta Brown, who are recovering from their injuries know that they are in our thoughts and prayers.

We will continue to investigate the crashes that occurred on December 31 and January 1 when the reckless, criminal behavior of the suspects in two separate incidents caused the untimely deaths of three young people and caused serious injuries to others.

I will provide more information on Monday, but following are several points that are important to share with your readers, viewers and listeners:

Both of these incidents were over in minutes or even seconds after police officers attempted traffic stops. They were over before officers had the opportunity to pursue either vehicle.

In the first incident at Sherman and Center on December 31, officers activated the emergency lights and siren at 35th & Center to stop a suspicious vehicle with no front plate. Within four blocks, officers quickly disengaged from attempting the traffic stop after evaluating the danger of continuing to follow the fleeing vehicle. That officer discretion is based on objective standards that balance the danger to the community represented by continuing to attempt to stop the vehicle versus the danger represented by the uncaptured fleeing person. The suspect ran a red light and crashed into the vehicle at Sherman and Center seconds later and about four blocks from where the officers had disengaged.

We have one person who was in the striking vehicle in custody and we continue to search for the passenger and for others who may have been in the vehicle at the time.

In the incident on January 1 at 27th and Locust, officers were flagged down at 27th and Burleigh by a woman whose car just had been stolen. She pointed out that her car was being driven away by the thieves, and officers activated their lights and siren. Just as the officers pulled onto 27th Street out of the parking lot on Burleigh where they had been talking with the victim, the suspect vehicle had sped up and crashed two-tenths of a mile (about 2 blocks) at 28th and Locust 14 seconds later.

In connection with that incident, we have an 18-year-old suspect in custody for two counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle, fleeing an officer and operating auto without owners consent. The 16-year-old passenger was referred to juvenile authorities.

The deadly consequences of the reckless behavior of criminals should not be linked to police attempts to keep people safe. Preliminary information indicates that officers involved in both these incidents used proper judgment and followed MPD procedure. MPD will take full responsibility for its actions. We regret that these two tragedies were in any way related to police efforts to protect our community. We will thoroughly examine these two incidents and we will communicate our findings as soon as we can. 

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