MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN — In a rare and powerful public statement, the family of a man who was shot and killed by an off-duty Milwaukee police officer last week has declared the shooting was "justified." After viewing dashcam footage of the deadly encounter, the family of Elijah Wilks, 26, urged the police department to release the video immediately to combat online misinformation.
The Milwaukee Police Department released the video on Monday, October 13, well ahead of its standard 15-day policy, citing the family's request and the interest of transparency.
What the Video Shows
The incident began on the morning of Thursday, October 9, as a minor traffic collision on West Mill Road. The dashcam video shows Wilks and the 40-year-old plainclothes officer aggressively merging into a single lane in a construction zone before their vehicles collide.
Both men pull over. Wilks exits his vehicle, approaches the officer, and after a brief, indiscernible exchange, pulls a handgun from his jacket. He then strikes the officer in the face with the pistol.
As Wilks backs away, he raises the handgun and points it directly at the officer. The officer, a 21-year veteran of the force, draws his own weapon and fires several shots in self-defense. Wilks died at the scene; the officer was treated for minor injuries.
A Family Chooses 'Truth Over Rumor'
At a news conference, the family’s attorney, B’Ivory LaMarr, stated their unambiguous position.
"We will acknowledge that we believe this officer-involved shooting was justified," LaMarr said. "We acknowledge that (Wilks) made a bad decision yesterday and unfortunately it came with dire consequences."
The family said Wilks had been emotionally distressed and acting out of character, as he was on his way to his uncle’s funeral on the day of the shooting. His aunt, Latrice Bell, said the family was "at rest" with what the video showed and had no plans to file any lawsuits.
“The Wilks family has seen the truth for themselves. Now they want the public to see it too,” LaMarr added. “They are choosing truth over rumor — transparency over division.”
The investigation into the shooting is being led by an outside agency, the West Allis Police Department.
For more cases of run-ins with law enforcement gone wrong, check out our video here:
