County Supervisor Burgelis Attacked At Mayfair Mall, Alleges Homophobic Slur Used

Supervisor Peter Burgelis. Image from Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors.

Milwaukee County Supervisor Peter Burgelis was attacked Friday at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa.

Burgelis was punched following an incident in the parking lot and the attack left him so injured that he required facial surgery at Froedtert Health.

“The dispute was over a parking issue that had occurred earlier in the lot,” a spokesperson for the Wauwatosa Police Department told Urban Milwaukee. The suspect left the scene before police arrived, the department said. But a person of interest has been identified.

“I walked away from him in the parking lot, walked away from him in the mall,” Burgelis said in a text message to Urban Milwaukee, as he is recovering from surgery on his jaw. “Then 6 min later I was checking out and paying for my hair product at Aveda where the register is right near the mall entrance and got sucker punched from behind. I stumbled but did not fall.”

Burgelis said his assailant issued a homophobic slur at the moment of the attack. “I don’t think I’m terribly flamboyant but I wear a rainbow bracelet,” he said. “Not sure if the assailant thought I’d be an easier target.”

Burgelis also released a statement from his supervisory office Friday. “I will never be silenced, nor will I allow this act of violence to detract from our ongoing efforts to secure acceptance and equality for the LGBTQ+ community. If anything, this assault serves as a stark reminder of the pervasive challenges we continue to face,” says the release.

The supervisor told Urban Milwaukee that he has, in the past, endured the occasional epithet “yelled from a car” but never a physical assault. “I’m angry and upset, but overwhelmed with support,” he said, noting that he still plans to participate in the county board’s pride month program later this month. “I’ll just have a couple of people to help out.”