Former Officer Charged Over Shooting That Sparked Milwaukee Riots

Former Milwaukee police officer Dominque Heaggan-Brown who shot and killed Sylville Smith in September, sparking days of rioting in the city's Sherman Park neighborhood, has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide.

Former Milwaukee police officer Dominque Heaggan-Brown faces a reckless homicide charge in the shooting of a suspect. (Photo: Milwaukee County SO)Former Milwaukee police officer Dominque Heaggan-Brown faces a reckless homicide charge in the shooting of a suspect. (Photo: Milwaukee County SO)

Former Milwaukee police officer Dominque Heaggan-Brown who shot and killed Sylville Smith in September, sparking days of rioting in the city's Sherman Park neighborhood, has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide.

According to the criminal complaint, a review of the body camera footage from Dominque Heaggan-Brown and another officer showed that Smith fled from police carrying a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine. The video, which has not been released, reportedly shows Smith slip, rise back to his feet with the gun, then raise the gun upward while looking in the direction of the officers and throw the gun over the fence into the yard.

Smith’s firearm was not discharged, the complaint said.

When Smith raised his gun upward, Heaggan-Brown fired one shot from his service weapon at Smith, and Smith fell to the ground on his back.

It was later determined that Heaggan-Brown’s that shot struck Smith in his right upper arm, the complaint said.

The video reportedly shows that Heaggan-Brown stood a short distance from Smith with his weapon pointed down at Smith and discharged a second shot from his weapon at what appears to be Smith’s chest.

The body camera footage shows Smith was unarmed at the time of the second shot, according to the complaint.

Police Chief Ed Flynn fired Heaggan-Brown on Oct. 31 after he was charged with second-degree sexual assault in an unrelated incident, WISN TV reports.

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