Milwaukee Pays Nearly $1 Million For 2022 Police Shooting
Common Council backs payout for violent handling of mental health call.
Crime scene tape. (CC0 Public Domain)
The City of Milwaukee recently approved a $950,000 settlement to resolve a federal civil rights lawsuit stemming from a 2022 police shooting involving a man in crisis.
The settlement ends the suit brought by Allen and Marqueta Dekeyser against the City of Milwaukee and several Milwaukee Police Department officers.
The lawsuit alleged that on March 5, 2022, Allen Dekeyser was shot in the face by a Milwaukee police officer responding to a 911 call placed by his wife during a mental health crisis. According to the complaint, Marqueta Dekeyser told responding officers that her husband was armed but suicidal and had not threatened her with the weapon.
Officers were given keys to the home and approached the front door. As Allen Dekeyser came into view, one officer fired through a glass door, striking him in the face. The suit claims the officer later falsely stated that Dekeyser had pointed a firearm at him, an allegation disputed in the complaint and by another officer on the scene.
Following the shooting, Allen Dekeyser was transported to the hospital and later charged with a felony count of pointing a firearm at an officer. Prosecutors ultimately dismissed that charge in October 2022, but he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct (use of a dangerous weapon) and operating a firearm with a controlled substance in his system, and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years of probation.
The Common Council unanimously signed off on the settlement on March 3, with Mayor Cavalier Johnson signing it on March 6.
The lawsuit also alleged misconduct beyond the shooting itself. Marqueta Dekeyser claimed she was unlawfully detained by police for hours and prevented from contacting family or checking on her husband’s condition.
In addition, the complaint accuses detectives of conducting an unreasonable and destructive search of the couple’s home, including cutting a hole through a living room wall. It also alleges that portions of Ring camera footage from the time of the shooting were missing after police accessed the system.
The plaintiffs further argued that the incident reflected broader systemic issues within the Milwaukee Police Department, including alleged failures in training, de-escalation practices and accountability in use-of-force cases.
The case was filed in U.S. District Court in February 2024 and included claims of excessive force, unlawful detention, malicious prosecution and violations of constitutional rights under federal law. The Dekeyers were represented by Chicago-based attorneys Gregory E. Kulis and Jeffrey J. Neslund.
The lawsuit named police officer Leon Burns, along with detectives Shaun Lesniewski and Jose Flores, as defendants in the case, in addition to the City of Milwaukee. Burns was identified as the officer who fired the shot that struck Allen Dekeyser, while Lesniewski and Flores were accused of misconduct related to the investigation, including the alleged unlawful detention of Marqueta Dekeyser and the search of the couple’s home. Burns is no longer a member of the department.
The council never publicly discussed the lawsuit in open session. During the Feb. 23 Judiciary & Legislation Committee meeting, Deputy City Attorney Naomi Sanders recommended the settlement be adopted based on the closed session discussion. The committee voted unanimously to endorse adoption without discussion.
City officials have not publicly admitted wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
The settlement is being paid from the damages and claims fund.
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