Wauwatosa Police Officer Suspended With Pay; Investigation Begins

WAUWATOSA, WI — Joseph Mensah, the Wauwatosa police officer involved in the shooting deaths of three people of color in the last five years, has been suspended with pay.

The Wauwatosa Police and Fire Commission voted Wednesday night to suspend Mensah with pay, as they took up a number of other legal issues surrounding the department and its officer.

Commissioners started the meeting by accepting a lengthy complaint brought forward by an attorney representing the family of Jay Anderson Jr. Mensah was involved in the fatal shooting of Anderson in 2016.

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The attorney, Kimberly Motley, filed the complaint with city officials in June. The complaint called for Mensah's dismissal from the department, a recommendation for criminal charges against the officer, a recommendation that Wauwatosa police officers be outfitted with body cameras, and several open records requests on incidents involving the police department in prior years.

During Wednesday's Police and Fire Commission meeting, Motley urged commissioners to terminate Mensah's employment and, if they could not, then to suspend him and "take away his service weapon."

Motley asserted that Mensah violated police protocol in the three incidents and did not receive proper police training.

"We believe he has shown a complete and utter disregard for life," Motley said during Wednesday's meeting.

Jonathan Cermele, the attorney representing Mensah, said his client has already been cleared of the Anderson shooting after multiple investigations failed to bring any charges against the officer.

"I'm confident that the commission is going to come to the same conclusion that every other investigatory authority has come to," Cermele said.

Also during the meeting, commissioners voted to hire Steven M. Biskupic of the law firm Biskupic & Jacobs, SC, to conduct an independent investigation into the claims filed against Mensah.

During Wednesday's meeting, Biskupic said he would act independently and bring in former FBI agents to assist with the investigation.

3 Killed In Wauwatosa Police Shootings

Jay Anderson Jr. was fatally shot at Madison Park in June 2016 after an officer, later identified by officials as Mensah, responded to a report of suspicious vehicle parked outside Madison Park around 3 a.m. Reports indicated the officer encountered Anderson in possession of a gun inside the vehicle. Authorities said the officer feared for his safety and fired his gun into the car, killing Anderson. Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm cleared Mensah of the shooting in December 2016, saying the officer would not face any charges.

Antonio Gonzalez was shot and killed in July 2015 by Mensah and fellow officer Jeffrey Newman after authorities said Gonzalez swung a sword and refused to drop it. Authorities determined the officers shot at Gonzalez in self-defense. Mensah and the fellow officer were cleared by prosecutors later that year.

Mensah was also involved in the fatal shooting of Alvin Cole outside Mayfair Mall in February. This case is currently in the hands of Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.