Jesse Jackson Visits Milwaukee Calling For Continued Federal Review Of Hamilton Case

Reverend Jesse Jackson is in Milwaukee on Friday evening, calling on federal Justice Department officials to continue with their review of the Dontre Hamilton case.

Hamilton was a black man with a history of mental illness who was killed when a white police officer shot him in a Milwaukee park in April last year. The officer, Christopher Manney, has since been fired. However, Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm recently announced he will not bring criminal charges against Manney, saying the former officer acted in self-defense.

Reverend Jackson told the crowd at a rally outside the Federal Courthouse on Friday that Hamilton’s death is similar to other police shootings.

“They killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, but he still lives. They killed Dontre, but Dontre still lives. There’s power in the blood of innocent,” he said.

Jackson also joined Hamilton’s family in asking for a federal probe of the patterns and practices of the Milwaukee Police Department.

Reverend Jackson met with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and will speak in the evening at a Milwaukee church.