Federal Officials Close Review into the Death of Dontre Hamilton

Officials with the Justice Department announced on Tuesday, November 10th that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges against former Milwaukee Police Officer Christopher Manney for the shooting death of Dontre Hamilton at Milwaukee’s Red Arrow Park on April 30, 2014. Based on those eyewitness accounts, the account of the former officer involved, the physical evidence and the assessments of independent use of force experts, the federal team determined “the evidence was insufficient to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Manney acted willfully with a bad objective to violate the law”.

Lawyers for the Hamilton family said that they were preparing to file a civil lawsuit in federal court against Manney.

According to Manney, Hamilton, who was black, attacked him with his own baton. He approached Hamilton – who was homeless and had a history of mental illness, his family has said – and began to frisk him.

Six months later, Manney was sacked in October 2014 for executing an illegal pat-down on an “EDP” (emotionally disturbed person).

At a tearful news conference Tuesday afternoon, Nate Hamilton, Dontre’s brother, said the Justice Department’s decision didn’t surprise him.

“We all know what to expect when it comes to this city”, Hamilton said, speaking for the family.

“The decision is limited strictly to an application of the high legal standard required to prosecute the case under the federal civil rights statute, ” the Justice statement said. Hamilton addressed the crowd, saying if political leaders don’t care about protesters, then it would be up to protesters to “make them care”. Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn called the pat-down a violation of department procedure, but wouldn’t damn Manney’s use of deadly force.

“The public will be assured that every detail of this injustice will be demonstrated and we will prevail”, said the family’s attorney Alex Flynn.

Hamilton’s mother, Maria Hamilton, started a support group for mothers whose children have died in police encounters and took part in a “Million Moms” march in Washington last May.