Officer Heaggan-Brown and another officer were working in a residential neighborhood in Milwaukee when they approached Mr. Smith, who they suspected was involved in a drug deal. In that lawsuit, they claim that the city kept him employed as a police officer even though he had a "pervasive pattern of excessive force and misconduct". Heaggan-Brown was facing 60 years in prison if he was convicted. Smith's father Patrick, says there is no justice in the death of his son. "This doesn't have to be an us versus them attitude but when communities lack trust because their rights have been violated, it's hard to begin the conversation". "There is no justice here". "So just, please, don't give them a reason".
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm said he respected the jury's decision.
"We prosecuted a strong case". "This is just an issue that this community had to decide".
Defense attorney Jonathan Smith said his client was "gratified" over the acquittal, CNN affiliate WISN-TV reported.
"The truth of the matter is, Officer Heaggan-Brown shouldn't have been on the force at all, he shouldn't have been on the street that night", Owens said, adding that Heaggan-Brown had been the subject of numerous use of force complaints.
So while his law enforcement career is over, his legal troubles are not.
While the officer and the victim in this case were both African American, it was one in a series of fatal shootings of black people across the United States. BLM protesters will continue to chant that they want "dead cops" and want them "now". You can't compare this to St. Paul. "You can't compare it to Ferguson".
"It's extraordinarily disappointing and grave", Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said. Prosecutors contended Smith didn't pose a threat before Heaggan-Brown fired again.
The verdict came a day after the jury began deliberations, 10 months after the fatal shooting.
Smith had thrown his gun over a fence one second before Heaggan-Brown fatally shot him.
A jury said after five days of deliberation that Yanez had acted reasonably and was not guilty. It was the second one, that Smith was then lying on the ground unarmed and wounded and defenseless when the officer fired the second shot.
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No, his father, Lavar, has a habit of doing enough of that for both father and son-and the rest of the family, for that matter. Markelle Fultz's mom, Ebony, makes sure the No. 1 pick of the Philadelphia 76ers is looking just so on his big night.
FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office shows Sylville Smith.
It took a mere 12 seconds from the beginning of the foot chase to the fatal shot.
"And our argument is that justification did not change over the course of 1.69 seconds between shots". He believes the second shot was unreasonable. "Black or white, because we all bleed the same, we all hurt the same, and it don't feel good to lose anybody", said Sherelle Smith. "I feel he blatantly shot Sylville".
Former Milwaukee Police Officer Dominque Heaggan-Brown heard the words "not guilty" in court on Wednesday as did the family of Sylville Smith.
After the verdict, Smith's family stood outside the courthouse, visibly stunned.
On August 13, 2016, officers chased Smith on foot after he ran from a traffic stop near 44th and Auer. I observed the firearm and at that point, we made eye contact.
Heagann-Brown was neither fired nor suspended after killing Smith.
The weapon Smith tossed was a Glock.40-caliber Model 22.
Malafa then went back to talk to Smith.
Following the not guilty verdict delivered Wednesday, the DOJ released video captured at the scene of the shooting and a written interview, and Heaggan-Brown told investigators he nearly didn't pull his gun that afternoon.
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