Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen won’t comment – for now – on a mass shooting in Brookfield. But the state Department of Justice will provide specialized training on domestic violence issues, at the request of the Brown Deer Police Department, for law enforcement in the Greater Milwaukee Area. Radcliffe Haughton killed his wife and two other women, and wounded four others at a spa on October 21st.
“There are many questions about what things could have been done to avert this tragedy, and whether there were missed opportunities for intervention that might have worked to divert this abuser from his escalating pattern of violence,” said a statement from Van Hollen.
Haughten’s wife, Zina, had been granted a restraining order, and subsequent reporting revealed that police in Brown Deer, where the couple lived, had numerous contacts with Radcliffe Haughton, including an incident where he not arrested after an armed standoff with officers. “We do not yet know all of the facts, and therefore I do not, at this point, intend to offer opinions or comments on past events,” Van Hollen said.
“Brown Deer Police Chief Steven Rinzel has reached out to our Training and Standards Bureau to request training and education on issues relating to domestic violence. We will work with Chief Rinzel to identify and address the training needs of Milwaukee-area law enforcement and prosecutors in a timely manner.”