Mayfair Mall Shut Down Over Protesters Wednesday

WAUWATOSA, WI — Stores in Mayfair Mall shut down Wednesday afternoon after a group of about 50 protesters gathered inside the mall, led a march and protested outside for about an hour.

Organizers met at the mall Wednesday to protest the death of Alvin Cole, the 17-year-old who was shot and killed by Wauwatosa police in February.

Chanting "Black Lives Matter," the group walked past stores with closed doors and drawn shutters in the otherwise empty mall. A few stores reopened after the march, but most closed shop for the day.

"We came here, we had every store shut their doors, we shut down Mayfair mall, and we're going to head to the Wauwatosa Police Department," Henry Lee said in a JSOnline report.

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On Feb. 2, a Mayfair Mall public safety officer called police, saying "We just had a domestic trouble by Sephora, and I believe there was somebody that was ending up saying that somebody had a gun with them. We just want the police to get involved just in case they do have it."

That call came across at 5:41 p.m. on Feb. 2.

One minute later, a police dispatcher radioed an officer to respond to the mall, according to police. The officer was provided a description of Cole, and that he was in a group of three people.

"The victim believes he saw a gun," the dispatcher told the officer.

Just after 6 p.m., an officer on-scene told dispatch "They're walking south through the parking deck, looks like they're going to run if I try to step out with them."

The officer found the group outside The Container Store. They took off running toward the Cheesecake Factory and police began a chase.

As police chased Cole, video showed Cole firing one gunshot at police. You can hear officers shout "drop the gun" and "put it down" several times before five gunshots are fired. The pursuing officer shot Cole, resulting in his death, according to police.

Officers began CPR and life-saving measures before the Wauwatosa Fire Department came to try to save Cole's life. He was rushed to Froedtert Hospital. He was later pronounced dead by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner.

Police said Cole was carrying a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that had been stolen in Milwaukee in October. Police also said during the pursuit that Cole fired his gun at officers as he was on the run.