3 Supervisors Suspended Over Rape Case Response Time: Report

WAUWATOSA, WI — Three Milwaukee Police supervisors have been suspended for six days after authorities say it took them about 90 minutes - far longer than it should have - to send squads to investigate a rape case in Sept. 2018.

The suspect in this case, ultimately identified by a victim as Jovon Bethly, was sentenced to 40 years behind bars. Police said he was the person responsible for kidnapping and sexually assaulting two women in two separate incidents in early Sept. 2018 - one in Milwaukee and the other in Wauwatosa.

The first incident involving Bethly happened on Sept. 1, 2018 in Milwaukee. According to a JSOnline report, supervisors first learned of the emergency call at 6:14 a.m. Officers were dispatched to the scene at 7:43 a.m. One supervisor told investigators there was an unusually high backlog of call requests at the time.

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Authorities said Jovon Bethly was responsible for abductions in Wauwatosa and Milwaukee.

Milwaukee Assault Reported

According to police reports at the time, the woman was walking home with her boyfriend on the 2800 block of W. Richardson Place just before 8 a.m. — about the time officers arrived on the scene — on Sep. 1 when Bethly got out of his van and pointed a gun at the woman and her boyfriend.

Police said Bethly forced the woman to perform multiple sex acts before leaving her at the intersection of N. 27th St. and W. Kilbourn Ave.

When police questioned the victim, she told police that the man later identified as Bethly had tattoos on both arms and hands with distinctive markings.

Suspect Struck A Second Time

A week later, Bethly was at it again, authorities said.

According to police, on Sunday, Sep. 9, just after 10 a.m. the Wauwatosa Police Department responded to the Wisconsin Athletic Club, 8700 Watertown Plank Rd. for a report of a woman who was sexually assaulted and kidnapped by an armed man.

According to police, a woman was running with her dog north on N. 87th Street just east of the athletic club when Bethly got out of a gray minivan and abducted the woman, forcing her to go inside the van.

Police said that the woman was forced to perform a number of sex acts inside the van. The woman attempted to escape, however, Bethly struck her a number of times, and forced her to participate in additional sex acts before leaving her at the same spot from which she was kidnapped.

According to police, the victim came forward and helped police identify Bethly by the tattoos on his forearms and both of his hands. Police say they found Bethly and arrested him on Monday, Sep. 10, just after 7 p.m.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Joseph R. Wall sentenced Bethly to two 30-year incarceration periods broken down into two 20-year prison terms and two 10-year periods of extended supervision. He will also be a lifelong registrant on the Wisconsin sex offender registry, according to court officials.

In a statement, Wauwatosa police lauded the work of the department's officers, while also honoring the women who survived Bethly's assaults and came forward to help police make the arrest.

"The justice served today would not have been possible without the excellent work of our officers who initially responded to the scene, the investigators who quickly developed a suspect and diligently built the case, the officers who safely made the arrest, and the prosecutors who worked through the court process," Wauwatosa police said. "Most of all, we commend the brave actions of the woman who survived this horrendous attack, and provided the information necessary to bring this criminal to justice. When acts of violence like this shake our community, we can trust that all will work together to ensure the safety of those we serve."