Family looks to federal case
MILWAUKEE — Family members of a Milwaukee man a city police officer shot and killed say they aren’t giving up hope that the officer will be charged.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm announced Monday that former Officer Christopher Manney, who is white, acted in self-defense when he shot Donte Hamilton, who is black, 14 times in April. But later in the day, U.S. Attorney James Santelle announced that the Department of Justice, his office and the FBI will review whether Manney violated federal civil rights laws.
Dontre Hamilton’s brother, Nate Hamilton, said the family hopes federal investigators can take a more objective look at the case than Milwaukee authorities and weigh all the evidence. The state Division of Criminal Investigation led the review of the case, but Nate Hamilton said the family thinks that agency has worked too closely with Milwaukee police in the past to be impartial.
Manney’s attorney didn’t return a message seeking comment about the federal review.
Manney is at least the third white police officer across the country who has not been charged in a confrontation that led to a black man’s death. He shot Hamilton, 31, in April after responding to a call of a man sleeping in a downtown park. Hamilton’s family said Hamilton suffered from schizophrenia and had recently stopped taking his medication. Manney said Hamilton resisted when he tried to frisk him. The two exchanged punches before Hamilton got hold of Manney’s baton and hit him on the neck, the former officer has said.
Several witnesses told police they saw Hamilton holding Manney’s baton aggressively before Manney shot him, according to Chisholm’s report.
