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The family of Elijah Wilkes said that a police officer’s The decision to shoot his relative was “justified” after authorities revealed dashcam footage of the incident.
usually, milwaukee Police wait 15 days before releasing video of a police shooting to the public, but they quickly got the family’s permission to share the clip to combat misinformation.
shooting It was captured on an unidentified officer’s dashcam while on his way to work.
In the video, Wilkes can be seen leaning in front of the police vehicle and then the two drive off to the side of the road.
When both men exited their vehicles, Wilkes shouted profanities at the off-duty police officer before waving his arms at him. he has one in his hand pistol Which appears on the policeman’s face.
Slowly, Wilkes backed away, putting the gun back in his pocket. However, the clip shows him pulling out his weapon once again before aiming it at the officer.
In response, the policeman draws a picture pistol And shoots. Returning some shots of his own, Wilkes falls to the floor near his car.
He was not seen again in the footage. Wilkes was later pronounced dead at the scene by police.
according to milwaukee journal sentinelHe was on his way to his uncle’s funeral later that day.
After surveillance footage of the shooting surfaced on YouTube, misinformation about the case began to spread. Due to the poor quality of the clip, the nature of the incident initially seemed unclear.
Due to this, Wilkes’ family had to quickly release the footage. RepresentativeB. Ivory Lamar described the firing as “justified”.
“The vantage point and resolution of the official dashcam video answers every question,” Lamar told reporters. “The Wilkes family has seen the truth firsthand. Now they want the public to see it, too.
“They are choosing truth over rumor – transparency over division.”
“This is not just about one case,” he said. “This is about restoring public confidence in law enforcement and ensuring that accountability is applied equally – whether it’s civilians or officers.
“Accountability and compassion can co-exist. The Wilkes family is proving that.”
Wilkes’ aunt Latrice Bell said her nephew “made a decision he shouldn’t have made.”
He added, “It’s something we have to live with.”
Andrea Ward, another aunt of Wilks, said, “It could have been any of us, any of our kids, because we’re all one seat away from making the wrong decision.”
according to a Press release On behalf of Milwaukee Police, the officer involved in the shooting was taken to the hospital to be treated for his injuries.
The Independent has contacted the Milwaukee Police Department for further comment.