A Milwaukee Police officer is recovering after he was shot in the arm during an altercation with an individual early Sunday morning on the city’s south side.
TODAY’S TMJ4 has learned that the suspect involved in the incident has died.
The incident happened in the 3500 block of South 17th Street at around 2 a.m.
The individual the officers were looking for wasn't located, and as they were getting ready to leave, a man came up to the window of a squad car and fired multiple rounds at Officer Brandon Baranowski, who was sitting in the vehicle by himself.
Baranowski was hit at least once in the vest, as well as in the arm.
Shortly after the shooting, police say officers heard a gun shot nearby and discovered the unidentified 20-year-old West Allis man dead of what appeared to be a self-inflicted wound to the head. A gun was found next to the man's body, according to police.
“This is just another example of the risks our officers take each and every day to protect these citizens,” Assistant Police Chief William Jessup said during a news conference.
Milwaukee police are going out in two-person teams until further notice following the shooting.
Baranowski, 31, has 13 years of service with the police force. He was taken to Froedtert Hospital for surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.
Police say the suspect had two prior felonies. Investigators believe the man who shot at police was the same person involved in the domestic violence incident.
“I’m very shocked,” neighbor Danielle Gallinatti said. “I mean this is a very good neighborhood.”
Gallinatti says shootings like this hit close to home because several of her family members work in law enforcement.
“I would not want to be a cop right now,” she said. ‘It’s like walking around with a target on your back.”
A man identifying himself as the uncle of the shooting suspect issued the following statement to media outlets:
This terrible tragedy is not the result of any movement, political agenda, race or gender. It is the result of a young man who was suffering from profound emotional distress. His mother and family members were working diligently to identify resources and get them into place. Sadly our efforts were not in enough time. We are deeply saddened by his desperate and misguided actions and would like to express our most heartfelt apologies to Officer Brandon Baranowski and his entire family as a result of this tragic incident. We would like to thank the entire Milwaukee Police Department for their efforts to perform lifesaving measures and their efforts to protect and serve in our community. He was a loving father, son, brother, grandson, nephew, uncle, cousin, and friend and he will be profoundly missed. The family is asking that you respect our privacy while we grieve the loss of our dear loved one.
