Teen Double Cop Shooter Pleads Guilty

Julius C. Burton pleas guilty to shooting two officers

By H. Nelson Goodson
January 21, 2010

Milwaukee -On Thursday, Julius C. Burton, 19, pleaded guilty to attempted homicide in a plea deal for shooting two Milwaukee police officers on June 9th. Burton is facing 50 years instead of 90 in prison, and won't be eligible for parole until he's 70-years-old, according to Mark Williams, Assistant District Attorney. Williams told the presiding judge in Milwaukee Circuit Court that the two officers had accepted Burton's guilty plea. Both officers were present in court, but did not testify. Burton is expected back in court on February 25 for sentencing.

Last Summer, two police officers were shot multiple times by Burton on Milwaukee’s Walker Point area. Burton was stopped for driving his bicycle on the side walk, a city ordinance violation and for suspicious behavior in the 900 block of S. 2nd St., according to both Officers Bryan Norberg, 21, and Graham Kunisch, 26.
Milwaukee Chief of Police Edward Flynn initiated a suspicious looking behavior policy in the department for officers to stop and question people in a neighborhood without probable cause. In this particular case, both Norberg and Kunisch were unable to draw their weapons when they were confronted by Burton.
Burton at the time of the shooting was taking medication for schizophrenia, according to relatives. He was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide.
Jacob D. Collins, 22, was convicted in federal court for selling a Taurus .40 caliber hand gun to Burton for $40. Collins admitted to federal authorities he bought the gun for Burton at Badger Guns shop in West Milwaukee.
Officer Norberg had been working in the department for six months and Kunisch lost an eye in the shooting.
In April 2009 another officer was shot, Officer Vidal Colón, 30, a seven-year veteran in the police department was responding to a domestic dispute call in the 1200 block of S. 36th St. when he got into a shooting match with Louis Manuel Domenech, 25. Officer Colón was shot three times and survived the shooting.
On January 26, 2008, Lodewikus "Vic" Milford a Miller Brewing Co. executive was shot to death by Miguel Ayala, 21, during an armed robbery in the same block where Officers Norberg and Kunisch were shot. Ayala, Carlos Gonzalez, 17, were convicted of the homicide and Irene Rodriguez, then 17 was previously charged as an adult, but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
On November 6, 2007, Officers Alejandro J. Arce, 26, and Jose Angel Lopez III, 31, were shot multiple times at the 1300 block of S. Greenfield Ave. by Victor Veloz, 16. Veloz was convicted and is serving 60 years in prison.