No charges have been filed against a Wauwatosa police officer who shot and killed a man last June. Police said Joseph Mensah opened fire after Jay Anderson lowered his hands toward a gun that was next to him in his car, despite warnings to keep his hands up.
Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber said Mensah had less than a second to react to what appeared to be a life-threatening situation. The gun turned out to be a loaded Ruger 9mm with one round in the chamber.
A dash cam video of the shooting shows Anderson lowering his right hand toward the passenger seat. An autopsy found that Anderson was intoxicated at the time of the shooting. Mensah is white, Johnson was black.
An attorney representing Anderson’s family plans to ask for a federal civil rights investigation against the police officer. Jonathan Safran said the family has seen the video of the incident, and believes it shows Anderson was falling asleep or passing out while talking to the officer. Safran disputes police claims that Anderson was reaching for the gun on the passenger seat of his car
The MIlwaukee County District Attorney decided not to file charges against Mensah, who is white. Anderson was black.
A Wauwatosa police officer who shot and killed a man last summer will not face federal civil rights charges. The U.S. Attorney’s office announced the decision Monday. Officer Joseph Mensah