First pictures of Milwaukee shooting victim released as cops reveal police shooter was also black
Sylville Smith, 23, fled a traffic stop on Saturday and was fatally wounded in the chest and arm during the foot chase
THE first pictures of the man shot by Milwaukee police have been released, as cops reveal his shooter was also black.
Sylville Smith, 23 and father to a toddler, fled a traffic stop at 3.30pm on Saturday and was fatally wounded in the chest and arm during the foot chase.
His killing sparked hours of violent protests on the city's predominantly black north side.
At least four businesses were burned down and cars were set ablaze in the protests that stretched into Sunday morning, leading Governor Scott Walker to activate National Guard troops in case violence persists.
Mildred Haynes told the that her son was killed by police on Saturday.
A Milwaukee police spokesman did not immediately respond to messages from an Associated Press reporter seeking confirmation of the man's identity, and Haynes said the police revealed little about her son's death.
Police say a man fled during a Saturday traffic stop and that he was carrying a weapon.
It is unclear whether he pointed the gun at officers before being shot several times.
Milwaukee police are now concerned for the police officer's safety, who is staying with relatives outside town.
Chief Edward Flynn said the chain of events leading to the shooting took 20 to 25 seconds, based on a review of body camera footage.
He said: "There was virtually no time between the officer unhooking his seat belt, turning on his body camera, getting out of the car and immediately he was in a foot chase.
"That foot chase went maybe a few dozen feet before he encountered this individual in a fenced yard.
"The individual was armed. The individual did turn toward the officer with the firearm in his hand. You can't tell when the officer discharges his firearm."
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During the ensuing protests, Flynn said there had been threats to officers but emphasised that no force was used.
Last year, Smith was charged with first-degree recklessly endangering safety and with witness intimidation but the charges were dismissed, court records show.
Prosecutors had recorded jail calls in which Smith asked his girlfriend to pressure the victim to recant.
In the witness intimidation case, Smith was accused of pressuring the victim in a shooting to recent a statement identifying him as the suspect.
Smith's mother said her son had recently gotten his conceal-carry licence because he had been shot twice and robbed four times - and was stripped of all his clothes during one robbery.
Haynes said she last saw her son about 12.30pm on Saturday when he and another man were stopped by police.
She claims to have missed a call from him at 3pm, when she thinks he was being chased by police. Haynes tried to call him back but got no response.
Smith's godmother, Katherine Mahmoud, said: "I'm not going to say he was an angel. He was out here living his life."
She added that her family had nothing to with the riots overnight.
Darin Ware, 51, a former security guard at the Mary Ryan Boys and Girls Club, remembered Smith coming to the club when he was about 12.
He said: "He was always a bit of a troubled kid.
"He was a fun kid but he was not without issues. We deal with him as west we could, even though we could have kicked him out a hundred times.
"Without knowing all the details I don't want to say he was at fault or the police were at fault."