Feds Found No Evidence To Prosecute Three Milwaukee Police Officers For Williams Death

Derek Williams suffocating in MPD police squad.

The U.S. Attorney's Office, Civil Rights Division and The FBI found no evidence that three Milwaukee police officers willfully intended to violate the civil rights of Derek Williams on July 6, 2011 or contributed to his death.

By H. Nelson Goodson

May 28, 2013

Milwaukee, WI - On Tuesday, James L. Santelle, the U.S. Attorney for Eastern Wisconsin announced his office, the Civil Rights Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found no credible evidence that three Milwaukee police officers contributed to Derek Williams, 22, death on July 6, 2011. Williams was taken into custody for suspicion of attempting to rob three UW-Milwaukee students.

Williams whose last moments of his life were captured on a squad camera pleading for help because he had a difficult time breathing was very dramatic, but a lack of lighting and officers not being with  Williams constantly couldn't determine that he was actually suffering from a health issue, according to Santelle.

A ruling by a Assistant Medical Examiner Cristopher Poulos in 2011 indicated Williams had died from sickle cell complications. The feds after examining medical records and autopsy results from Williams death on Tuesday confirmed that his cause of death is undetermined. The Williams medical results also indicated no evidence of abuse, trauma or a broken neck bone as previously believed. 

Lacking any credible evidence to prosecute for a Civil Rights violation, Santelle decided not to pursue any prosectution charges against three Milwaukee police officers.