Trial Begins For Former Milwaukee Police Officer Accused In Smith Shooting

Jury selection begins Monday for a former Milwaukee police officer accused of a killing an African-American man last August. The incident touched off two nights of demonstrations in Milwaukee that caused significant property damage.

Then-Officer Dominique Heaggan-Brown shot Sylville Smith while the patrolman was chasing Smith on foot after a traffic stop. Police say Smith was carrying a semi-automatic pistol and started to raise his arm before Heaggan-Brown shot Smith the first of two times.

But last fall, prosecutors charged Heaggan-Brown with first-degree reckless homicide. By then, he had already been fired from the police force after sexual assault allegations in a separate case.

People who live in the Sherman Park area, where the shooting of Smith occurred, say they’ll pay attention to this week’s trial. Cornell Robinson said he hopes it reduces anger over police shootings.

“People just want to see some justice. Maybe it will help heal the community. Maybe that’s what we need, ” Robinson said.

Heaggan-Brown is also African-American.

Another resident of the Sherman Park area, Sharon Jones, questions Heaggan-Brown being charged with homicide while some white officers who have killed African-Americans haven’t gone to court.

“They’re making an example out of the black officer and it’s white officers, officers of other races, that do the same thing. But they don’t get the same end result, ” Jones said.

However, Jones said it’s good to prosecute Heaggan-Brown if the shooting of Smith wasn’t justified.

The former officer has pleaded not guilty. One of his lawyers, and the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office, declined comment about the upcoming court action. The trial may last up to two weeks.