Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Police Sergeant Fatally Shoots Wrong-Way Driver Who Showed a Gun on State 175

A Milwaukee police sergeant shot and killed a wrong-way driver on State Highway 175 on Monday night, and the freeway that closed for the investigation has reopened, police and local stations reported.

The shooting happened at about 8:15 p.m. near Vliet Street, north of the Stadium Interchange. Police said the sergeant saw a truck make a U-turn near Highway 175 and Lloyd Street and start driving southbound in the northbound lanes. The sergeant called in the wrong-way driver and tried to stop the truck.

A firearm shown during the stop

During the encounter, the driver displayed a firearm, Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference on Monday night. The sergeant fired and hit the driver, who ended up outside the truck and was pronounced dead at the scene, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Police said a firearm was recovered. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner was called to the scene, FOX 6 reported.

Norman said the sergeant is 37 years old and has more than 15 years of service with the department. He also said the sergeant was not wearing a body camera at the time. There is video of the incident from another source, Norman said, though he did not say what kind. Department policy, Standard Operating Procedure 575, requires video tied to a police shooting to be released within 15 days.

Highway closed, then reopened

The shooting closed State 175 in both directions. Northbound lanes were shut between West Vliet Street and West Lisbon Avenue, and southbound lanes were closed at Lisbon Avenue, according to the transportation information carried by the Journal Sentinel. Traffic was diverted off at Vliet Street. By Tuesday morning the roadway had reopened, TMJ4 reported.

Outside agency leads the investigation

The Milwaukee Area Investigative Team will investigate the shooting, with the West Allis Police Department as the lead agency. That is the standing arrangement in Milwaukee County, where an outside agency reviews a police shooting. The sergeant has been placed on administrative duty while the investigation runs, the Journal Sentinel reported.

Police had not released the dead driver's name or age by Tuesday morning. They also had not said where the truck entered the highway, or how long it traveled against traffic before the sergeant spotted it near Lloyd Street. Those answers, and the video Norman described, are the next facts expected in the case.

For drivers on the north side, the practical news is simple. The stretch of Highway 175 that was closed overnight is open again, and the investigation now moves to the review team and to the video that the chief says exists.