MILWAUKEE — A former Milwaukee police officer who shot a man 14 times after being struck by his baton in a scuffle won’t be charged because the April fatal shooting was justified, said John Chisholm, district attorney for Milwaukee County.

Chisolm’s decision is the latest involving fatal encounters between white police officers and black suspects which resulted in no charges either at prosecutors’ discretion or grand juries declining to indict.

Officer Christopher Manney, who is white, fired his weapon after Dontre Hamilton, a mentally disturbed black man, wrested Manney’s baton from him, and according to the police officer and witnesses struck him on the neck. Police officers in Milwaukee, and throughout the United States, are trained to fire to “stop the threat,” Chisholm said. Manney would have fired 14 shots in 2.99 seconds, he said.

“This was a tragic incident for the Hamilton family and the community,” Chisholm said. “Officer Manney’s use of force in this incident was justified self-defense.”

Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn fired Manney over the incident. The police union has appealed that decision.


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