Milwaukee, WI

2017 Milwaukee homicide: Man now charged, warrant issued for arrest

Published

2 months ago

January 18, 2026

2017 Milwaukee homicide: Man now charged, warrant issued for arrest

MILWAUKEE – One Milwaukee man is now accused of killing another nearly a decade ago after police investigators obtained new information last year.

In court:

Prosecutors charged 40-year-old Rickey Brown Jr. with first-degree reckless homicide. Wisconsin Circuit Court records indicate a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

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64th and Ruby | Feb. 16, 2017

The backstory:

The homicide victim, identified in court filings as Rainier Sheridan, called police at around 1:30 p.m. to say he’d been shot. He gave an address, but did not respond to follow-up questions. When police got there, nobody answered the door.

A criminal complaint said officers went to the backyard and saw a black Buick parked with the driver’s door open – the interior in apparent “disarray” – but nobody was inside. A set of keys was found in the grass, and blood was seen on the concrete near the car.

The back door of the home was open, and court filings said officers went inside. They found Sheridan on the floor with multiple bullet wounds. He died in an ambulance on the way to a hospital. An autopsy determined he had been shot four times, and his manner of death was ruled a homicide.

What they’re saying:

According to the complaint, a neighbor told police she was watching TV in her living room when she heard multiple gunshots coming from the alley behind her home, and it sounded like they all came from the same gun. Another neighbor said she heard an argument followed by gunshots, but did not see anyone when she looked outside.

Court filings said a witness told police he saw a man running with a gun in the alley behind 64th Street. The witness said the suspect ran to a beige Chevrolet Tahoe and noted the vehicle’s front license plate was partially hanging off. The suspect got into the driver’s seat and drove away. The witness said he’d never seen the suspect or vehicle on the block before.

Sherman and Capitol | Feb. 16, 2017

Dig deeper:

Prosecutors said police were called about possible gunshots near Sherman and Capitol at around 12:45 p.m. the same day, roughly 45 minutes before Sheridan called 911. A witness said he saw a black car being chased by a tan Chevrolet SUV – possibly a Tahoe. The witness said the Chevrolet driver at one point was hanging outside the window and shooting a gun at the black car it was chasing.

Surveillance video captured the shooting, which court filings said showed the two vehicles and the Chevrolet driver with his arm extended out of the driver’s window “consistent with” the shooting that the witness described. Video from an MCTS bus also showed the Chevrolet had a front license plate that was hanging down.

The complaint said no bullet casings were found at the scene, “which would be consistent with a revolver or the casings being disturbed by heavy traffic at the intersection.”

Information leads to arrest

What they’re saying:

In January 2018, nearly a year after the shooting, a family member of the victim contacted police with information about the homicide. He said the victim had started dating a woman “around Christmas time in 2016,” according to court filings. He also said the woman’s ex-boyfriend was “Rickey Brown.”

The family member said he was told about a time that Brown “beat up” the woman because she was dating Sheridan, the complaint said. He also told police that Sheridan told him that Brown was “stalking” him and the woman when they were dating.

A detective investigated the family member’s statements, court filings said, first by searching dispatch records for any entry with “Rickey Brown.” The search showed a call for an “abduction” near 60th and Congress on Dec. 17, 2016. Records indicated Brown and the aforementioned woman were the two people involved.

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Prosecutors said bodycam footage from the incident showed the woman and Brown, as well as a beige Chevrolet Tahoe with the front license plate hanging on by one screw. The vehicle was “consistent with” the suspect vehicle involved in the incidents on Feb. 16, 2017. A records search revealed Brown owned a Chevrolet Tahoe, and the vehicle was found parked outside his listed address.

Multiple witnesses identified photos of Brown’s Chevrolet as “consistent with the suspect vehicle,” per the complaint. Multiple people who knew Brown also said he drove a tan Chevrolet Tahoe, one of whom said Brown would’ve been “the only person driving” the vehicle “during the time of the homicide.”

Brown was arrested, and his cellphone was seized as evidence, on Feb. 8, 2018. Court filings did not indicate when he was released from custody.

Milwaukee County Courthouse

Cellphone records

Dig deeper:

Court filings said police obtained cellphone records through a subpoena, including recent records. Records showed “numerous contacts” between Brown and the woman, as well as the woman and Sheridan, on the date of the homicide.

At around 12:30 p.m. on the date of the homicide, the complaint states Brown’s cellphone was using a tower near Green Bay and Hope that covers Capitol Drive. It was using a tower near 60th and Fond du Lac, which covers the residence where the victim was found – but not Brown’s residence – at around 1 p.m. that day.

The complaint also noted that while there was “extensive communication” between the woman and Brown leading up to the homicide, there were at the same time numerous attempts by the woman to call the victim. After the victim called 911, though, the woman “never attempts” to call or text the victim again.

New information uncovered

Dig deeper:

Police obtained a warrant to search Brown’s cellphone using “more advanced software” in 2025. During that search, detectives located several images “of importance.”

Those images included screen captures of text conversations between the woman and Sheridan that appeared to show an argument between them. The images had capture times of just after 11 a.m. on Feb. 16, 2017 – the date of the homicide.

Several photos on Brown’s cellphone were “consistent with being taken by” his cellphone camera, according to court filings. Those photos were taken from inside a car, and the dashboard was “consistent with” his Chevrolet Tahoe. Those photos had capture times of roughly 30 minutes before the homicide.

Prosecutors said one photo showed the intersection of 60th and Fond du Lac, another the intersection of 63rd and Congress – roughly one block from Sheridan’s home. The complaint said it would “be the most direct route” to the victim’s home. Other photos showed what appeared to show a home on the block where Sheridan was killed.

The Source: FOX6 News reviewed Information from the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.

Crime and Public SafetyNewsMilwaukee

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Milwaukee, WI

Why are Milwaukee-area students protesting ICE actions?

Published

6 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Why are Milwaukee-area students protesting ICE actions?

Ever since the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both by federal agents in Minneapolis in January, there have been numerous student protests by high school students across the country – including several in Wisconsin and the Milwaukee area.

Students at Milwaukee Public Schools’ high schools including Milwaukee King, Ronald Reagan, and others; Wauwatosa East High School, Shorewood High School, Menomonee Falls High School, Nicolet High School, Whitefish Bay High School – even one student at Marquette University High School – have all walked out of school to protest Immigrations and Customs’ Enforcement actions in Minneapolis and nationwide.

What is it about ICE’s actions that have students walking out? How are school districts handling it, and what do students and parents think?

UW-Madison political science professor shares thoughts on what’s behind student walkouts

Political science professor emeritus Howard Schweber of the University of Wisconsin-Madison said several factors play into why students are protesting.

One of those factors is that ICE raids have taken place near schools. In some school districts, teachers have been arrested and students have disappeared. In some areas of Minneapolis, schools have had to switch to remote learning because students feared ICE raids, Schweber said.

Second, Schweber said the walkouts tie in to past student protests over guns in schools; high school students are feeling unsafe in their schools.

“They’re feeling threatened by forces, you know, far beyond their control, and feeling like first, it was their government wouldn’t protect them. This time it’s their government that’s doing it to them. Of course I’m only speaking from the perspective of the students who are protesting. I don’t mean to suggest that all students feel this way, but the ones who are protesting, this is, I think, what is driving them,” he said.

“Unlike some other issues, I think this one – like the guns in schools issues – hits very close to home, and makes them feel personally involved and threatened by the situation,” he said.

Schweber also talked about where the First Amendment applies during these situations.

He said students, particularly high school students, do have First Amendment rights. He said that schools may not punish students for expressing one viewpoint as opposed to another, and that any policy must be neutral. However, he said, students who walk out, and especially students who engage in conduct that disrupts school activities, can be disciplined.

“The legal background to this is students have a right to express themselves, but while they’re in school or while they’re supposed to be in school, that right is quite curtailed,” he said. “I noticed that in Madison, for example, there were some protests that were held after school ended in order to avoid this problem, which is certainly one way to avoid the issue, but then it’s not a walkout.”

How school districts deal with the walkouts

When it comes to walkouts, school districts typically approach them from several perspectives: attendance, neutrality, recognizing freedom of speech and safety.

In general, school districts will mark students who participate in walkouts as absent and unexcused unless their parents call in to excuse them. Most districts surveyed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also stressed that walkouts are student-sponsored and not organized or sanctioned by the districts.

For example, Pewaukee High School principal Brian Sniff said in a letter to parents that a Feb. 4 walkout at that school was student-initiated and student-led. He said that while students planning the walkout consulted with administration for clarity on the school’s expectations and potential consequences so they could make an informed decision about their plans, the district did not endorse or encourage the activity.

At the same time, some districts have acknowledged that students have free speech rights, as guaranteed by the First Amendment.

While reiterating that students who walk out are unexcused unless a parent excuses them, the Wauwatosa School District said in a letter to parents in advance of a Jan. 12 walkout that it values and encourages student self-expression and recognizes the “importance of civic engagement as part of a well-rounded education.”

“We view moments like this as opportunities for young people to explore their voices, deepen their understanding of social issues, and learn about the power of collective action in a safe and constructive way,” the letter said.

Safety is also another factor that districts consider.

South Milwaukee School District Superintendent Deidre Roemer, Shorewood High School principal Tim Kenney and Franklin High School principal Michael Vuolo said in their letters to parents before planned walkouts that staff would not supervise students who left school grounds.

Sniff said that if students walked out, administrators and security would monitor the situation, ensure they remained in designated safe areas on campus and prevent conflict. But he added that supervision means ensuring safety, and does not equal support.

Parent, student perspective

Jamie Esser, a parent of a child attending Pewaukee High School, said she supported the walkout there. She said teens getting involved with politics and social issues was “heartwarming” to her.

“I think our children, ever since lockdown, have been isolated and stuck in their cell phones and stuck on social media and not really interacting with each other or looking at the world at large. So I think – especially with all the controversy around ICE and around the treatment of their fellow Americans or even fellow human beings – I think it’s great that kids are taking up concerns, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s very promising for the future that today’s generation sees the injustice and just wants to be heard that they don’t agree with it,” Esser said.

Conversely, Joe Rivera, a parent and school board candidate for the Wisconsin Hudson School District in northwestern Wisconsin, said he was concerned about inconsistencies in how that district told parents it would handle a walkout v. what actually happened.

The walkout took place, even though the district told parents that students would not be allowed to leave campus and that classes would continue as scheduled, a Feb. 14 post on his campaign Facebook page said.

“Allowing a large, pre-planned demonstration during the school day – after communicating it would not be allowed – created confusion, undermined trust, and placed students in unnecessary danger, the post said. “We do not have to look far to see how similar situations, even nearby, have escalated quickly and turned tragic.”

“As a parent in this district, I find it unacceptable that families were told one thing and experienced another – especially when it involves student supervision and safety during the school day,” the post said.

Thomas Stilp, a Marquette University High School student, said he was among several students who were organizing a walkout at his school in February. Things looked ready to go until the night before the walkout. That’s when organizers heard concerns that the walkout might draw unwanted attention from ICE; those concerns led them to cancel the event.

Stilp said he thinks students fear that what’s happening in Minnesota will eventually happen in Milwaukee.

“What we really want is the whole country to be doing this, and if people are leaving schools and people are shutting down their offices and are not showing up to work, like businesses are closed; if you can’t get your coffee in the morning because of these ICE raids that are happening and businesses are calling for that to be stopped, that’s when you’re going to notice,” he said.

However, not all students support the walkouts.

One of those students is Turner Dittrich, a senior at Arrowhead High School and a founder, former president and current member of the school’s chapter of the conservative organization Turning Point. He is also the son of Terry Dittrich, the Waukesha County Republican Party chairman.

Turner Dittrich said that while people have the right to protest, they should not interfere with ICE, which is investigating criminal behavior.

“My whole take on it is, is why should undocumented illegal citizens get the same immunity as the ones who sacrifice to follow the law? We are America. We are a country of laws,” he said.

Dittrich said anti-ICE protests have been boosted by students who simply do not want to be in school. He also said he does not think it’s right for students to miss school for protests, out of respect for teachers.

“At Arrowhead especially, I’ve met some phenomenal teachers, some phenomenal individuals. They wake up tired and they’re really pouring out their energy into what they’re teaching students. For the ICE protests to not be done at 3:30 or 4 [after school] is just shocking to me because it’s like, what are these teachers possibly doing? Now, I understand freedom of speech. They can’t control kids necessarily, but at the end of the day, when teachers are getting paid to show up and work hard, it just unfortunately saddens me.

“It’s the same thing if there was a pro-ICE protest. I would think that during school hours, it’d be wrong, right? So I think on both sides of the aisle, the fact that we’re doing this during school hours, is wrong. It can’t be done that way,” Dittrich said.

Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on X (Twitter) at @AlecJohnson12.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Common Council opposes We Energies’ data center rate plan

Published

18 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee Common Council opposes We Energies’ data center rate plan

The Milwaukee Common Council has called on state utility regulators to reject We Energies’ data center rate proposal in its current form.

The council unanimously adopted a resolution March 3 opposing We Energies’ proposal to create a separate energy rate for large-scale data centers, saying the plan does not go far enough to protect ratepayers.

At the same time, a group of council members led by District 14 Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic is drafting a six-month moratorium on data center development in the city of Milwaukee.

We Energies’ plan “is not a good deal for Milwaukeeans,” Dimitrijevic said during a Common Council meeting March 3.

We Energies’ proposal would create a separate energy rate for “very large” customers with an expected load of 500 megawatts or more. These very large customers, which include data center developers like Microsoft and Vantage, would pay for the massive amount of new infrastructure being built to serve them.

In October, We Energies filed plans to build more than $5 billion in new solar projects and natural gas plants to meet electricity demand brought by hyperscale data centers.

The utility says its rate plan protects customers from bearing costs associated with these projects, and hold data center companies responsible for costs through the life of the new assets.

“Our proposal is fair, transparent, and establishes strong safeguards — including binding agreements so data centers owners, not other customers, pay for the infrastructure they require,” We Energies spokesperson Brendan Conway said in a statement. “That means Wisconsin families are not subsidizing these projects.”

The resolution, introduced by Dimitrijevic, calls for stronger ratepayer protections, including binding service agreements that last the life of new infrastructure and include termination charges. It also wants the “very large” customer threshold lowered from 500 megawatts to prevent avoidance by data center companies.

In filings submitted to the Public Service Commission, We Energies said it would be willing to lower the threshold to 250 megawatts.

The resolution took particular issue with We Energies’ proposed cost split for the new natural gas plants. Under the current proposal, data center companies would pay for 75% of operating and maintenance, and other ratepayers would cover the remaining 25% as well as annual fuel costs.

We Energies says the plants will serve all customers as demand for energy is projected to rise across rate classes.

“If data centers never existed, we would’ve had to have built other plants, other power generation to meet our customers’ increasing need,” Conway previously told the Journal Sentinel.

The resolution said data center companies should pay “100% of all incremental and fixed costs required to serve them, including generation capacity, operations and maintenance, and fuel costs attributable to serving the data center load.”

Council members’ concerns echo those brought by environmental and consumer advocacy groups during a public hearing Feb. 10. The Public Service Commission will rule on the proposal by May 1.

This is not the first time the City of Milwaukee has weighed in on We Energies cases brought before the Public Service Commission. It’s intervened in opposition to previous energy rate hikes proposed by the utility, arguing they disproportionately burden thousands of low-income Milwaukee households.

In December, Dimitrijevic proposed a six-month moratorium on data center development in the city. The pause will give council members time to establish a regulatory framework for large-scale data center proposals, she told the Journal Sentinel.

“Sometimes the economy moves so quickly that we haven’t been able to catch up in licensing,” Dimitrijevic said. “We have to set up a careful way to regulate it and have public input.”

A group of aldermen want to require data center developers apply for a special use permit through the Milwaukee Zoning Appeals Board, a process they say creates more transparency. Should this pass, large data center proposals would be subject to public hearings, and the Zoning Appeals Board can reject a plan based on public health concerns.

The moratorium will receive a public hearing in the next few weeks.

This article was updated to include new information.

Francesca Pica can be reached at fpica@usatodayco.com.

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Milwaukee, WI

Check out these Milwaukee-area places to celebrate Pi Day on March 14

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Check out these Milwaukee-area places to celebrate Pi Day on March 14

For math enthusiasts and foodies, Pi Day on March 14 is upon us once again.

We all know what pie is, but what the heck is pi? Pi ― 3.14 ― is the ratio of the circumference of a circle (the distance around the outside of it) to the diameter of that circle (the distance edge-to-edge). As we may have learned in math class, no matter the size of the circle, pi is always 3.14.

Hence on March 14, many bakeries and eateries in and around Milwaukee are offering pie sales and diverse pie selections. A selection of them are listed below.

Note that pie availability is typically while supplies last and preordering or calling beforehand is recommended. If there is a bakery or restaurant that is recognizing Pi Day and is not included in this list, let us know so we can add it.

Gather Bakehouse in Bay View

At Gather Bakehouse, the bakery will have mini 3-inch pies as well as 9-inch pies. Flavors include Dutch apple, strawberry rhubarb, cherry, French silk, honey custard and key lime. There will also be preorder options.

Location: 1100 E. Oklahoma Ave., Milwaukee

Hours: 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It’s closed on Monday.

For more information: Visit gatherbakehouse.com

National Bakery & Deli in Brookfield, Greendale and Milwaukee

National Bakery & Deli will have multiple pies available for National Pi Day: banana cream, cherry, apple, chocolate cream, Dutch apple and strawberry cream.

Location: 13820 W. Greenfield Ave., Brookfield; 5637 Broad St., Greendale; and 3200 S. 16th St., Milwaukee.

Hours for all locations: 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

For more information or to order online: Visit nationalbakery.com

Kelly’s Pot Pies & More in Greenfield and East Troy

Kelly’s Pot Pies & More will have $3.14 off any large Reuben pot pie or shepherd’s pie beginning Pi Day and running through St. Patrick’s Day. These specials will be at both the East Troy and Greenfield stores.

Kelly’s Pot Pies & More also has other pot pies, including beef, turkey, veggie, taco and pizza. They also offer quiche, cheesecake, lemon torte and key lime pie.

To help guarantee a pie, order online two hours or more in advance.

Locations: 3785 S. 108th St. in Greenfield; and 3268 Main St. in East Troy

Hours: 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

To order online or for more information: Visit kellyspotpies.com.

Mr. Dye’s Pies at 3rd Street Market Hall in Milwaukee

At Mr. Dye’s Pies at 3rd Street Market Hall, there are a plethora of pies sold by the slice or as a whole pie including peanut butter, sweet potato, pecan, key lime and blueberry.Location: 5504 W. State St. (First Floor, South Hall located in the row of stalls to the right of Dairyland)

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday

For more information: Visit 3rdstmarkethall.com/locations/all-vendors/mrdyespies

The Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago

The Elegant Farmer will participate on National Pi Day from March 9 to 15 and will offer $3.14 off 5-inch apple pies baked in a paper bag (original price is $9.99). The pies baked in a bag feature a flaky crust with a sugar cookie-like top.

Location: 1545 Main St. (at Highways ES & J) in Mukwonago

Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily

For more information or to order: Order online at elegantfarmer.com or call 262-363-6770

Periwinkle’s Bakery in Waukesha

Periwinkle’s Bakery on Broadway in Waukesha will have its full pie menu for special order on March 14 and a variety of 9-inch-deep dish pies for sale that same day at its retail location at neighboring Rochester Deli. These include French Silk, caramel apple, Key West lime, wild blueberry and peanut butter French silk.

Online orders need to be placed the week prior.

Location: 143 W. Broadway, Waukesha (Bakery for purchase inside of Rochester Deli)

Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday

For more information: Visit periwinklesbakery.com

All in Favor, Say Pie in Waukesha

At All in Favor, Say Pie, you can order your pie online to pick up in Waukesha. Flavors include Door County cherry pie, apple blueberry, Dutch apple pie, cranberry apple, mixed berry and blueberry. Pies should be ordered two to five days in advance.

For more information and to order: Visit https://sites.google.com/view/allinfavorsaypie/home

Aggie’s Bakery and Cake Shop in West Allis

Aggie’s Bakery and Cake Shop will sell pies including cherry, apple, caramel apple, blueberry, peach and banana cream pie on National Pi Day.

Location: 7328 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis

Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday

For more information: Call 414-482-1288 or visit aggiesbakery.com

The Bake Sale in West Allis

The Bake Sale in West Allis has pie options that customers can order online days in advance which include key lime, French silk, apple, caramel apple, strawberry rhubarb, pecan, whiskey chocolate pecan and fruity pebble. Pies are available on National Pi Day while supplies last. Select pies are available in the store.

Location: 6923 W. Becher St., West Allis

Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday

For more information or to order: 414-543-4230 or bakesalewestallis.com

Bishop’s Sweets in West Allis

For National Pi Day, Bishop’s Sweets will have whole pies and slices available while supplies last. If you want a specialty pie or to ensure there is one ready, order the pie 72 hours before March 14.

The featured pie flavors include apple, cherry, banana cream, coconut cream and Bishop’s Sweets requested favorite, French silk pie. The bakery will also be introducing additional pies for people to try, including chess, buttermilk and Mississippi mud pie.

Location: 8005 W. Lincoln Ave., West Allis. Bishop’s Sweets also offers delivery through Uber Eats and DoorDash.

Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on National Pi Day, March 14, or until the pies are sold out. Otherwise, hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday; and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. (It is closed Monday through Thursday.)

For more information: Visit www.facebook.com/BishopsSweets or call 414-763-2436.

Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on X at @kozlowicz_cathy

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