Demonizing Individuals That Have Been Killed Ignites Controversy In Milwaukee Targeting WISN 12 News And The Milwaukee Police Department

The Milwaukee Police Department and City of Milwaukee Alderman Donovan have lashed out at WISN 12 News for posting a news article about a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Rosales who became a victim of a beating by a cop in 2017 and claiming that multiple Milwaukee police officers including deceased Officer Rittner had lied and filed false police reports to cover up incident.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

February 9, 2019

Milwaukee, WI - In many cases around the U.S. including Milwaukee where an unarmed person of color has been killed by a cop, many police departments, sheriff's departments, including other state and federal law enforcement agencies are quick to demonize the deceased victim before being laid to rest without extending any respect for families grieving, especially families of color. In this case, WISN 12 News was targeted by the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) in a press release for posting a news article that was deemed "tasteless (with) no academic value" simply because it reported that deceased Milwaukee Police Officer Matthew Rittner, 35, was named in a federal civil rights lawsuit filed on behalf of Rafael Rosales on January 24, 2019 that claimed and named multiple police officers including Officer Rittner of lying and filing false police reports in the beating case that resulted in the resignation of Milwaukee Police Officer Michael Gasser who was charged with three misdemeanors, later sentenced to 14 days in jail, 18 months probation, 200 hours of community service and fined $500 for kicking Rosales, a carjacking suspect in the face after surrendering, breaking his nose and causing an epileptic seizure and almost died while handcuffed as other officers stood by celebrating his arrest. According to MPD press release on Friday, that Officer Rittner was the first cop to render help for Rosales when he went into a seizure, but it failed to mention, if Rittner reported the illegal act by then Officer Gasser to supervisors. Why didn't the Milwaukee police officers at the scene reported the Gasser kicking incident to MPD supervisors, were they exercising the Blue code of silence to cover up for one of their own? The filed federal lawsuit will no doubt raise the question and copies of the alleged filed reports by the following officers, James Filsinger, Michael Gasser, Kim Lastrilla, Thomas Marcus, Matthew Rittner, Michael Schwandt, Joseph Scheuring, Adam Stahl and Damon Wilcox will be scrutinize for any false reporting.

None of the Milwaukee police officers named in the Rosales civil rights lawsuit reported the illegal act to police supervisors at the time. Greenfield police officers later reported Officer Gasser's kicking incident to the Milwaukee Police Department Internal Affairs and an investigation was launched.

Today, the MPD nor the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission have a "Zero Tolerance Policy" for lying or filing false police reports by cops, if intentionally caught lying, the officers are not fired, but kept in the department creating a liability in cases.

The MPD confirmed on its Facebook account that it had requested for WISN to remove the tasteless article that named Officer Rittner in a federal civil rights lawsuit, which WISN management immediately removed the news article causing a backlash from the community at large including the African-American and Latino communities, which felt that the MPD and WISN are using double standards, which only demonize Black unarmed victims killed by cops by bringing up their criminal backgrounds and any alleged wrongdoing to justified and create public opinion for the killing of an unarmed victim of color. Other Facebook users called it selective when convenient censorship of the free press.

Also, City of Milwaukee Alderman Robert "Bob" Donovan, a Southside Milwaukee Common Council member lashed out at WISN as well in his Facebook account and posted, "media's sick, constant war on cops". It seems, Alderman Donovan himself would have preferred for WISN not to report that police officers are actually named in a recent filing of a federal civil rights lawsuit against them including the city and any media source that reports it is in war with cops. So far, only Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) has reported the MPD's press release and the federal lawsuit naming Milwaukee police officers. The rest of the local and national mainstream media have yet to report on the MPD's claim that WISN reported a tasteless article with no academic value. 

Tory Lowe, a local Black activist posted a Facebook video criticizing the MPD for lashing out at WISN and also criticized WISN for removing the news report naming Officer Rittner in a federal civil rights lawsuit. Lowe says, since WISN removed the news report in question, then WISN should also remove all the news reports demonizing unarmed people of color killed by cops. He also commented that a vigil held for Officer Rittner yesterday, a majority in attendance were White indicating how segrated the City of Milwaukee is today. 

The majority of Milwaukee police officers serving today in the department under Police Chief Morales including its diverse command staff are well respected, have valor, proven integrity, honesty, professionalism and do put their lives on the line every day.

Officer Rittner, is considered a war time veteran hero who served his country in the military and lost his life on Wednesday in the line of duty while executing a warrant with the Tactical Enforcement Unit (TEU). Jordan Paul Fricke, 26, was taken into custody in connection with the homicide of TEU Milwaukee Police Officer Rittner at the 2900 block of S. 12th Street. Officer Rittner, a 17 year police department veteran was shot and fatally wounded around 9:17 a.m. when his TEU unit was executing a search warrant at a residence and attempting to enter the home. When Fricke fired several shots through the door and struck Officer Rittner who was taken to Froedtert Hospital where he later passed away.

The MPD release an outdated photo of deceased Officer Rittner.

Fricke was the target of illegal guns and drug sales and the TEU was executing a warrant at the time of the shooting, according to Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales. No information has been released by police to confirm, if in fact drugs and illegal guns were found at the home other than the weapon used by Fricke to kill Rittner.

Fricke's family members posted on Facebook that several dogs were also killed by the TEU when police entered Fricke's residence and that Fricke's name was not on the warrant, but included a name of another suspect. Police haven't released any information to confirm, if several dogs were shot at Fricke's residence or if the warrant had another name, but Police Chief Morales during a press conference stated that Fricke was the target of a warrant being executed by the TEU.

Fricke was booked on Friday at the Milwaukee County Jail facility and bond is set at $500,000, pending charges, according to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office.