Council members seeking information on fatal shooting during RNC, details on convention-related arrests, economic impact

A group of Common Council members led by Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs is seeking information from city officials and partners about the police-involved shooting that left a Milwaukee man dead during the Republican National Convention (RNC) – as well as information about arrests tied to the convention and whether the event delivered on projected local economic impact.

Common Council communication File #240504 – like the other two files, authored by Alderwoman Coggs and cosponsored by Alderman Mark Chambers, Jr., Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II, Alderwoman Larresa Taylor, Alderwoman Andrea Pratt, and Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic – seeks to get information directly from Milwaukee Police and the Fire and Police Commission about the July 16 fatal shooting of a 42-year-old Milwaukee man near N. 13th and W. Vliet Streets by officers from Columbus, OH.

“The shooting by the Columbus officers took place outside the RNC security zones, and I believe the public deserves to learn of the circumstances – as much as is possible in a public meeting – and we would also like to discuss more broadly the rules of engagement for those officers and what the thinking was as to where out-of-town officers were placed during the entirety of the RNC,” Alderwoman Coggs said.

She added: “The understanding of most is that they (Columbus officers) were not to be outside the security zones without MPD supervision and that was not the case as it relates to the shooting incident.”

A second communication file (Council File #240505) seeks to determine how much beneficial economic impact the city saw from the RNC, as $200 million was the projected impact per the city’s agreement with RNC.

Alderwoman Coggs said it is hoped that officials tied to the RNC – including but not limited to officials from VISIT Milwaukee and/or the administration of Mayor Cavalier Johnson – can shed light on the true economic impact. “We saw an intense amount of activity within the security zones, but things were not as robust outside,” she said. “We would like to know if disadvantaged and emerging business enterprises were in the mix and benefited during the RNC, as was promised.”

The third and final communication file (Council File #240506) seeks information about RNC-related arrests, police contacts and ticketed violations that were recorded inside and outside the security zones during the RNC.

“Juneteenth, Brady Street Fest, and other community events generate MPD arrest reports and statistics, so we believe the public should also be privy to similar information related to the RNC,” Alderwoman Coggs said.

The files are expected to be scheduled for hearings in the next Council legislative cycle.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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