Wisconsin Officers Shoot, Kill Man Wielding Sword

Two Wauwatosa, Wis., police officers responding to a call from a landlord about an unruly tenant wielding a sword Thursday night fatally shot the man after he refused to drop the weapon, Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber said Friday.

Two Wauwatosa, Wis., police officers responding to a call from a landlord about an unruly tenant wielding a sword Thursday night fatally shot the man after he refused to drop the weapon, Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber said Friday.

The officers were called to 8533 Glencoe Circle around 9:17 p.m. Thursday. Shortly after they arrived, the man came out with the sword and ignored multiple requests to put it down, Weber said. One or both of the officers — Weber couldn't confirm which — fired at the man, then tried unsuccessfully to revive him using CPR.

A police officer who appeared to be shaken was led away soon after the shooting, followed by multiple squad cars and more officers arriving, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Milwaukee police will investigate Thursday night's shooting, per an agreement that they will handle all of Wauwatosa's officer-involved shootings, Weber said.

According to a state law enacted last year, any death that occurs as the result of actions by law enforcement officials must be investigated by an outside agency. Wisconsin was the first state in the nation to pass such a law. The legislation came after years of work by the family of Michael Bell, who was shot and killed by Kenosha police in 2004.

About the Author