POLICE DON'T BELIEVE MAN KILLED BY OFFICER HAD A GUN

A 26-year-old man shot and killed Sunday night by a Milwaukee police
officer who believed the man had a weapon was identified Monday by the
Police Department as Domonick Washington.

Washington began fighting with two officers during a traffic stop and
appeared to be reaching for a weapon in his waistband, but police did not
find a weapon at the scene and do not believe Washington was armed,
department spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said.

Police did recover half a pound of marijuana from Washington, including
marijuana that had been packaged for sale, Schwartz said. Washington also
had $740 and was wanted on a municipal warrant in connection with a drug
charge, she said.

Washington's family said he was not a drug dealer and said they doubted he
would have fought with police officers.

"He's not aggressive at all," said Washington's cousin, Tosha Powell. "He
wouldn't ever, ever attack a police officer. I wasn't there, but I would
bet my life that that wouldn't happen. That's just not his character."

According to Schwartz:

Washington was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over by two
officers in a marked squad car about 10:25 p.m. near N. 48th and W.
Burleigh streets.

The officers made the stop because the vehicle had a defective headlight
and the woman at the wheel was driving suspiciously.

As the officers approached, they saw drugs inside the vehicle and ordered
Washington to get out.

Washington immediately began fighting with the officers. They and
Washington eventually went to the ground while fighting, and Washington
kicked one of the officers in the head.

Washington kept reaching toward his waistband during the struggle, and the
officers believed he was trying to grab a weapon.

One of the officers shot Washington once in the chest. He was pronounced
dead at the scene.

The 24-year-old woman driving the vehicle was arrested on suspicion of
possession of a controlled substance, Schwartz said.

Washington was awaiting trial on a charge of maintaining a
drug-trafficking place, according to online court records.

Washington's family said he did not operate a drug house.

"He did get caught up in a drug house one time, and that was due to being
in the wrong place at the wrong time with relatives," said Washington's
uncle, Dwayne Walker.

Washington's family said he had made mistakes but was a mild-mannered man
who loved to make others laugh.

"Am I saying he hung out with the wrong crowd sometimes? Yeah, he did,"
said Washington's cousin, Powell. "But would he do anything like (fight
with officers)? Is he a gangbanger, a violent person? No, he's not."

Washington's family also questioned why the officer felt he had to shoot.

"It's a two-on-one," said Washington's uncle, Walker. "You've got two
officers there and one guy, and you had to shoot the guy and kill him?"

Washington's family is planning on hiring a lawyer, Walker said.

"I want to get to the bottom of the truth," Walker said. "I want to know
what actually happened that night. I want facts. If Domonick did
something... then I want to know that. But things right now don't add up
to a reason for being shot."

The officer who shot Washington is 34 years old and has been a Milwaukee
police officer for almost eight years, Schwartz said. He is assigned to
the Neighborhood Task Force. His name was not released.

He has been placed on administrative duty, standard procedure after a
police shooting, Schwartz said.

Both officers suffered cuts and abrasions and were taken to a hospital for
evaluation Sunday night, she said.

The police department's Criminal Investigation Bureau and the Milwaukee
County district attorney's office are investigating the incident, Schwartz
said. Officials are awaiting toxicology and autopsy reports, she said.

Police believe several motorists drove by while Washington and the
officers were fighting. Anyone who saw the incident is asked to call
Milwaukee police at (414) 935-7302.

Police also have two video recordings of the incident captured by
surveillance cameras in the area, Schwartz said. Both confirm that the
officers struggled with the suspect, but neither recording is clear enough
to show anything else, she said.

Schwartz said the department would not release the videos to the Journal
Sentinel because they are considered evidence in the case.

The squad car involved in the traffic stop was not equipped with an
on-board video camera, Schwartz said.