State Rep. David Bowen
Press Release

Rep. Bowen Statement on Joseph Mensah Charging Decision

“I Am Not Surprised by This Miscarriage of Justice”

By - Oct 7th, 2020 04:56 pm

MILWAUKEE – State Rep. David Bowen (D-Milwaukee) released the following statement in reaction to Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm’s decision to not bring charges against Wauwatosa Police Officer Joseph Mensah in the shooting death of 17-year-old Alvin Cole:

“Although I am obviously upset with DA Chisholm’s decision to not press charges in this case, I am not surprised by this miscarriage of justice. As I and the committed activists who have been marching for the past 132 days have been saying all along, the entire system is at fault in these cases. Black and Brown people in this country have been criminalized, they have been targeted, and their cries for respect have been ignored by too many lawmakers and other so-called ‘public servants’ for far too long. It is past time for systemic transformation, and a new approach to policing and criminal justice in our communities – a new approach that will always put human life and dignity first, and that will not continue to easily pass off killings of people of color by police as ‘justified.’”

Earlier today, Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm released his decision to not bring charges against Officer Mensah in the shooting of Alvin Cole in February of this year, determining that Officer Mensah’s actions were “justified.” This is the third time in the past five years that Officer Mensah has killed an individual in the line of duty, only to have those killings later deemed “justified” and not deserving of criminal charges. Nevertheless, earlier this morning, a team of outside investigators (including two former federal prosecutors and five former FBI agents) released an 83-page report detailing their recommendation that Officer Mensah be terminated from the Wauwatosa Police Department, citing “inconsistent and misleading” public statements on the part of Mensah, violations of department policies on discussing ongoing shooting investigations, as well as the possibility of Officer Mensah taking a fourth life in the line of duty, thereby “creat[ing] an extraordinary, unwarranted and unnecessary risk to the Wauwatosa Police Department and the City of Wauwatosa.”

“Just because this decision came down this way today does not mean that our fight is over. The fact of the matter is, Joseph Mensah has killed three people in five years, and he has proven that he does not deserve the honor and responsibility of wearing that badge and to truly protect and serve. As has been pointed out on numerous occasions previously, and as this morning’s report confirms, this is a man who has consistently shown a willingness to lie on the record. Based on this track record, how do we know that he won’t kill yet another one of our neighbors in the future? And if the DA isn’t willing to charge him on the basis of his willingness to obstruct justice, how do we know that he has the community’s best interests at heart? We will continue marching, making our voices heard, and demanding better for our communities for as long as it takes. Today, we mourn this decision, and grieve alongside the Cole, Anderson, and Gonzales families. And we keep marching on.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

More about the 2020 Racial Justice Protests

Read more about 2020 Racial Justice Protests here

More about the Case of Officer Joseph Mensah

Read more about Case of Officer Joseph Mensah here

Mentioned in This Press Release

Government:

Recent Press Releases by State Rep. David Bowen

Rep. Bowen Announces Bid for 1st District Common Council

Bowen offers experienced leadership to work towards necessary solutions for Milwaukee

Rep. Bowen Statement on New Type 1 Youth Facility Site Selection in Milwaukee

With Site Selection, Evers Administration and DOC Take First Major Step to Finally Close Lincoln Hills

Rep. Bowen Statement on SCOTUS Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade

Decision in Dobbs Goes Against the Will of the People and Will Hurt Marginalized Communities Most

Leave a Reply

You must be an Urban Milwaukee member to leave a comment. Membership, which includes a host of perks, including an ad-free website, tickets to marquee events like Summerfest, the Wisconsin State Fair and the Florentine Opera, a better photo browser and access to members-only, behind-the-scenes tours, starts at $9/month. Learn more.

Join now and cancel anytime.

If you are an existing member, sign-in to leave a comment.

Have questions? Need to report an error? Contact Us