Connect with us

Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee police chief faces criticism over training trip to Israel

Published

on

Milwaukee police chief faces criticism over training trip to Israel


Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman is facing criticism after it was revealed he recently attended a counterterrorism training program in Israel, prompting public backlash during a Fire and Police Commission meeting.

What we know:

Advertisement

The Milwaukee Police Department said Norman was out of the office from Dec. 1 through Dec. 7 while participating in a homeland security program in Israel. The trip drew sharp criticism during Thursday’s Fire and Police Commission meeting, where speakers questioned the timing and implications of the training.

For more than two hours, residents spoke before the commission, calling out Norman for attending the program amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

Advertisement

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

“For this police chief in this political climate when there’s a genocide happening right now, to go learn tactics to further oppress our communities, is shameful,” said Angela Lang, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities.

One Fire and Police Commission member also apologized publicly to residents.

Advertisement

“I called this trip unconscionable and I believe that with my chest,” said Krissie Fung. “I think that for many Milwaukeeans this is not something they will ever forgive.”

What they’re saying:

Advertisement

Norman sat quietly in the front row during the meeting. He later released a statement defending the trip:

“At last night’s Fire and Police Commission meeting, members of the community and various organizations shared their concerns regarding my recent training trip to Israel. I want to sincerely thank everyone who took the time to express their thoughts and experiences.

Community feedback is invaluable, and I do not take it lightly. I am honored to serve a diverse community—one that includes a wide range of perspectives.

Advertisement

In 2025, I was invited to participate in the Homeland Security Program in Israel, sponsored by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) and the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA). This program, established after 9/11, facilitates the exchange of best practices between U.S. law enforcement and leading counterterrorism experts. Given today’s global security challenges, I viewed this as an important opportunity to learn strategies for preventing and responding to terrorism—knowledge that ultimately enhances the safety of the entire community I serve.

As a leader, I believe in lifelong learning. Every experience, including the feedback I received last night, is part of that journey. I want to assure you that your comments were heard and taken seriously.”

Advertisement

Dig deeper:

The training program was led by retired FBI Assistant Director Steven Pomerantz, who said the program began in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks and is not political in nature.

“There was no political tones to it, no connection to the military,” Pomerantz said. “It’s all about law enforcement.” 

Advertisement

Pomerantz said Israeli national police have extensive experience dealing with terrorism and have shared lessons learned with U.S. law enforcement for years.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

Advertisement

“The Israel national police had more experience than any other police agency in the world dealing with terrorism and a lot of lessons they had learned over the years that they were willing to share with American law enforcement,” he said.

The program is limited to local law enforcement leaders, including sheriffs, police chiefs and commissioners. Pomerantz said participants learn how agencies in Israel share and analyze information to prevent terrorist attacks.

“What he learned in Israel and what he’s implemented since he’s been back, makes the people of Milwaukee safer,” Pomerantz said.

Advertisement

Another question raised during the meeting was who paid for the trip. MPD said the training is run by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.

The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.

Advertisement
Milwaukee Police DepartmentJeffrey NormanIsrael Hamas warMilwaukeeNews



Source link

Milwaukee, WI

Food trucks in Milwaukee brace for new curfew

Published

on

Food trucks in Milwaukee brace for new curfew


MILWAUKEE — Saturday is the start of the food truck curfew in downtown Milwaukee. That curfew was passed by the Common Council to address safety concerns after several violent incidents.


What You Need To Know

  • Alma Juarez is with Tacos Almita on Water Street in downtown Milwaukee. Juarez said since the city passed the curfew, she’s had just over two weeks to adjust
  • She said that means she may also have to start building up a news customer base
  • Last week Ald. Robert Bauman told Spectrum News that he’s aware of the economic burden the truck operators are facing. However, he said safety concerns are a bigger priority
  • He said he’s willing to take a hit on food trucks and prioritize the concerns of larger businesses


Alma Juarez is with Tacos Almita on Water Street in downtown Milwaukee. Juarez said since the city passed the curfew, she’s had just over two weeks to adjust.

“We’re trying to think what we’re going to do,” said Juarez. “Maybe we’re going to start in another place or move the food truck after 10 p.m., but that means we have to start over again.”

She said that means she may also have to start building up a news customer base.

Advertisement

“Moving the truck means that… we have to struggle,” said Juarez.

Juarez is not alone in worrying about her financial future.

Last Thursday, a group of owners took their concerns to city hall. Jennifer Martinez, who’s with the food truck known as Tacos El Pastorcito Mixe, was at that demonstration. She said the late-night hours make up roughly 75% of her revenue.

“During the day, I’ve tried opening very early in the morning — 8 a.m. 9 a.m. — it doesn’t make a difference. There’s no… we don’t have much sales throughout the day,” said Martinez.

Ald. Robert Bauman represents downtown and was the sponsor of the ordinance.

Advertisement

Last week he told Spectrum News that he’s aware of the economic burden the truck operators are facing. However, he said safety concerns are a bigger priority.

“And MPD (Milwaukee Police Department) has said on the record repeatedly that food trucks are a major contributing cause for the loitering and disorder that takes place on Water Street,” said Bauman, who represents District 4 in Milwaukee.

He said he’s willing to take a hit on food trucks and prioritize the concerns of larger businesses.

“If they feel that downtown is not safe anymore, they’ll either not come at all, or they’ll leave as soon as their event is over with and not spend any additional money in the downtown area,” said Bauman.

But Juarez said the city shouldn’t have to do that. She said she believes food trucks aren’t the cause of the problem.

Advertisement

“You can see it in any places, but not here,” said Juarez. “It can happen here, but not in front of the food trucks cause they are saying that a lot of violence, a lot of the things that are going on is in front of the food truck. You can see that all the shooting happens after 1 a.m. or 3 a.m. Last shooting, it was after 1 a.m.”

Food truck owners said they hope to continue to turn a profit after the ordinance starts, but they said they face a potentially tough financial future.



Source link

Continue Reading

Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee man charged in fatal shooting near 20th and Burleigh

Published

on

Milwaukee man charged in fatal shooting near 20th and Burleigh


A Milwaukee man is accused of shooting and killing a 32-year-old after a hit-and-run on the city’s north side in April.

In court:

Advertisement

Milwaukee County prosecutors charged 25-year-old Daniel Evans with first-degree reckless homicide and two counts of felony bail jumping. He’s being held in the Milwaukee County Jail on $100,000 cash bond.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

Court filings said Evans was out on bond for two different felony cases at the time of the shooting. He’d previously been convicted of misdemeanors in two other cases.

Advertisement

Milwaukee County prosecutors also charged 22-year-old Joshua Evans with harboring/aiding a felon in the case. He’s being held in jail on $15,000 cash bond.

Daniel Evans, Joshua Evans

Advertisement

20th and Burleigh

The backstory:

The shooting happened on April 23. The victim, who the medical examiner’s office identified as 32-year-old Terry Brown-Maben, died at the scene near 20th and Burleigh. A criminal complaint said police found nine bullet casings there.

Advertisement

What they’re saying:

A witness told detectives that he and Brown-Maben had just left a liquor store when an SUV rear-ended them at 20th and Hopkins, according to the complaint. He said the crash snapped his car’s axle, and he was upset but told the people in the SUV to “just pull over” because he did not want to make a big deal of it. At the same time as the witness was talking to a passenger in the SUV, he said Brown-Maben was talking to the driver.

Scene near 20th and Burleigh (April 23, 2026)

Advertisement

Court filings said the SUV drove away, and the witness and Brown-Maben began to walk because their car was left inoperable after the hit-and-run crash. A short time later, the witness said the SUV came back, and the passenger started to shoot at them.

The complaint said the witness told detectives that he took Brown-Maben’s gun and hid it after the shooting, adding he did not see Brown-Maben with the weapon before the shooting. The witness was also “adamant” that there had been no confrontation between them and the people in the SUV after the crash.

Advertisement

Shooting investigation

Dig deeper:

Court filings said detectives watched surveillance video that showed an SUV turn near 20th and Burleigh, after which there appeared to be a muzzle flash from the passenger side of the vehicle. Video from the liquor store and a nearby gas station showed the SUV with front-end damage, and showed Joshua Evans getting out of the driver’s door.

Advertisement

Detectives showed the witness photo lineups in an attempt to identify the driver and passenger in the SUV. Court filings said he identified Daniel Evans as the passenger and shooter, but he did not identify Joshua Evans as the driver.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

Police ran the SUV’s license plates, and determined Joshua Evans was the registered owner. When detectives interviewed him, he said he thought he might have been at work or “with a female” that night but identified himself and Daniel Evans in surveillance video from the liquor store.

Advertisement

Another person told police that she spoke to Daniel Evans. According to the complaint, that person said Daniel Evans told her “Josh” hit someone’s car and there was a “shoot out.” When police showed her pictures of the SUV from the liquor store surveillance, she said she “thought it was Josh’s.”

Five days after the homicide, police interviewed someone who was arrested on unrelated charges. Court filings said he told police he’d bought his gun from “the Evans brothers” for $200. Ballistics tests of that gun determined it matched the casings recovered at the homicide scene near 20th and Burleigh.

Advertisement

The Source: FOX6 News went to the shooting scene after it happened. Information in this story is from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.

Crime and Public SafetyNewsMilwaukee



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee FPC meeting; to talk Flock cameras, MPD’s ‘use of force’ policy

Published

on

Milwaukee FPC meeting; to talk Flock cameras, MPD’s ‘use of force’ policy


The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission will meet on Thursday night, May 7, to discuss a number of items – including the use of Flock cameras, along with a resolution to tweak the Milwaukee Police Department’s current use of force policy. 

Flock cameras

What we know:

Advertisement

Concerns over the use of flock cameras to fight crime – that’s one of the big topics set for discussion at tonight’s FPC meeting. 

The cameras have faced push back from the community after prosecutors charged an MPD officer for misusing the technology in March. 

Advertisement

Prosecutors allege Josue Ayala used Flock cameras to track a romantic partner and that partner’s ex. They say in the span of a month, the officer searched the pair 179 times. In February, prosecutors charged Ayala with attempted misconduct in public office. 

A number of Common Council members wrote a letter expressing “serious concern” to the Milwaukee Police Department over the use of Flock cameras. 

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

Advertisement

In the letter, the Milwaukee aldermen said they had serious concerns about what they call “a lack of adequate guardrails, auditing, supervision and transparency.” 

During Thursday’s meeting, the Milwaukee Police Department will be fielding questions from members of the FPC – including what guardrails are actually in place to avoid potential misuse. 

Advertisement

“We also understand, especially from a recent situation, that we can do better. We understand that we have to put in more robust checks and balances,” said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman.  

Use of Force

What we know:

Advertisement

There are more possible changes coming to how Milwaukee police officers report the use of deadly force. 

The modification to the use of force policy is specifically targeted at how and when officers must report the use of deadly force. 

Under the current version of MPD’s standard operating procedure, a use of force report must be completed when a department member discharges a firearm. It excludes training situations, or if and when a member points a firearm at a person. 

Advertisement

The potential change would include when a member “draws or displays a firearm (including a shotgun or rifle) to effect an arrest or seizure of a person.”

The resolution is sponsored by Alderman Peter Burgelis, who said in a meeting last month this essentially restores a recently deleted requirement previously in place. 

Advertisement

Additionally, during Thursday’s meeting, they are also expected to dicuss the ongoing debate over MPD’s chase policy.  

The Source: FOX6 News obtained Milwaukee Police Department data and utilized prior coverage.

 

Advertisement

Crime and Public SafetyMilwaukeeNews



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending