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Former police officer charged with homicide in Wisconsin

A great deal can happen in the span of a couple of seconds. For law enforcement agents in pursuit of a suspect, the actions and decisions made in this short amount of time could mean the difference between life and death. A former police officer in Wisconsin has been accused of violent crimes and is now facing homicide charges after an incident involving the death of a man who was in possession of a gun and attempting to evade arrest.

According to reports, the incident began when the officer came upon a vehicle with out-of-state license plates, the driver of which was engaging in suspicious activity with another individual. Upon approaching the vehicle, he asserts that the driver began to flee. The officer was reportedly wearing a body camera at the time, which recorded the events that followed during pursuit. After a short chase, the man apparently fell, allowing the officer to catch up to him.

The man was reportedly in possession of a gun, and upon rising and turning in the officer’s direction, he allegedly tossed it away right about the time the officer fired the first shot, hitting him in the arm. Less than two seconds later, a second shot was fired, hitting the man in the chest. According to the officer, the second shot came in response to the victim reaching for something in his waistband.

Although the camera captured the event, it cannot capture intentions. As attorney Jonathan Smith told the Milwaukke Journal Sentinel, “[a] video shows what happened, but not how or why it happened.”

Source: jsonline.com, “DA charges ex-cop with homicide in Sherman Park shooting“, Ashley Luthern , Gina Barton and Mary Spicuzza, Accessed on June 9, 2017

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