Bradford Beach Beating Death Was 'Random Act,' Sheriff Says

MILWAUKEE, WI — Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas said the beating death of a man on Bradford Beach was a "random act" and that an arrest has been made in the case.

According to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's office, deputies were sent Bradford Beach on Milwaukee's near north side just after 9 p.m. Sunday after learning that a man was assaulted on the beach.

Sheriff's officials said deputies who arrived found a severely-wounded man lying on the beach. Authorities said he was not breathing, and had no pulse when deputies arrived.

According to sheriff's officials, deputies began CPR and applied a defibrillator in order to try to re-start the victim's heart. Authorities said the Milwaukee Fire Department arrived minutes later and took over performing life-saving measures in an attempt to save the victim's life.

Authorities said the victim succumbed to his injuries at about 10 p.m. despite rescue workers' best efforts to save him.

During a press conference held Monday evening, Lucas said deputies heard from a number of witnesses. Lucas said the witness accounts led deputies to a "person of interest," who was arrested earlier Monday.

"It appears to be a random assault," he said. "There was no familial connection."

Lucas said they expect to bring charges against the suspect in the coming days.

In a press release from earlier Monday, sheriff's officials initially said the suspect left the beach following the assault, but came back on a bicycle. A deputy still at the beach reported arresting the suspect there.

When questioned by a reporter over an initial sheriff's report that the suspect returned to the scene on a bicycle and was arrested, Lucas demurred. "I don't have that information," he said during the Monday evening press conference.