Assembly Approves New Procedures For Investigating Deaths Involving Police

The state Assembly passed a bill requiring Wisconsin police departments to enlist outside investigators to look into officer-involved deaths.

The plan would end the practice of larger police departments using their own officers to investigate people who die while in an officer’s custody.

Rep. Garey Bies, R-Sister Bay, said he got involved in this issue after learning about the case of Michael Bell, a Kenosha man who in 2004 was shot outside his home by police officers who were later cleared of any wrongdoing by their department. Bies, who was a police officer for 30 years, said that the case was handled improperly. He said the aim of this plan is that every police department has a way to handle these cases going forward.

“It’ll give the public the confidence,” said Bies. “It’ll give the relatives of the victim or the person that died the confidence. And it’s also going to give police officers more satisfaction – that when they are found that they did nothing wrong, that they’ll have more credibility on that finding.”

Bies’s proposal has gone through several drafts. Previous versions exempted the City of Milwaukee, but the version that the Assembly voted on includes it.

Talking to reporters in Milwaukee today, City of Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn said he was OK with the bill.

“It wouldn’t change anything in Milwaukee,” said Flynn. “What it would do is add yet another layer. I’m comfortable with that. This county and city heavily scrutinizes every death in custody.”

What remains to be seen is whether the proposal can win support in the state Senate with the end of session drawing near. As is stands right now, the measure has no Senate Republican co-sponsors.

Editor’s Note: The radio version of this story aired before the bill’s passage.