Wanted 35-year-old Tow Truck Driver Johnathan Jay Otto Fatally Shot By Milwaukee Police Officer In The Southside Of Milwaukee

35-year-old Otto was fatally shot by a Milwaukee police officer in the Southside of Milwaukee. 

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 12, 2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Thursday, a Milwaukee police officer who was holding to the driver's side door of a flatbed White tow truck fatally shot Johnathan Jay Otto, 35, a Native-American, who was the truck driver who failed to stop.

The officer attempted to arrest Otto by his residence for a parole violation, but he sped away with a passenger in the tow truck, while the officer held on to the driver's side door. The officer told Otto multiple times to stop or he would shoot him, but Otto kept on going and the officer then shot him. The tow truck then stopped at the 1200 block of W. Grant Street in the Southside of Milwaukee.

Ana Rios released the video recording to media showing the tow truck moving while the Milwaukee police officer held on.

The Milwaukee Police Department released the following press release regarding the police involved shooting.

On Thursday, March 12, 2026, at approximately 10:00 a.m., Milwaukee Police Department officers along with a Department of Corrections Agent responded to the 1900 block of South 12th Street to check for a wanted suspect with a parole violation.

Upon arrival, an officer in full uniform encountered the suspect who was inside a full-sized flatbed tow truck with a passenger in the truck. The officer approached the suspect and ordered that he exit 

the truck. The suspect refused and the officer attempted to remove him from the truck at which time the suspect immediately started the vehicle and suddenly drove off at a high rate of speed while the officer was clinging to the suspect and the driver's side window.

The suspect drove the truck for several blocks as the officer clung to the side of the truck. The officer gave several commands to the suspect to stop the truck, even informing the suspect that if he did not stop he would shoot. The 

suspect continued to refuse these commands multiple times. At this time, the officer discharged his firearm subsequently striking the suspect, and finally stopping the truck.

While this was occurring, the officer's partner was in pursuit of the truck with lights and sirens activated attempting to catch up to pull over the truck.

The suspect, a 35-year-old male, sustained fatal injuries. The passenger was not physically injured by the gunfire but was transported for medical treatment out of an abundance of caution. We recognize that exposure to incidents like this are traumatic and our thoughts are with the passenger.

The officer that discharged his firearm is a 46-year-old male with over 21 years of service. 

He was transported to a hospital for treatment of non-fatal injuries. He will be placed on administrative duty as is routine in officer involved shootings.

The Milwaukee Area Investigative Team will be investigating this incident. The West Allis Police Department is the lead investigating agency.