MILWAUKEE — The Helping Hands group home on Sunset Drive in Milwaukee has closed, the office of District 11 Alderman Mark A. Borkowski tells TMJ4 News.
This comes after 47-year-old Helping Hands employee Avery Lamar Davis was charged with felony Intentionally Abusing Patients, Causing Bodily Harm.
A criminal complaint released Tuesday states that video showed one of the group home employees striking a person with autism staying at the group home. The worker allegedly hit the person around the corner from the group home, on Wedgewood Drive.
Another witness said around the time the video was recorded, she heard the victim scream and then saw the group home employee strike the victim on the head. The victim yelled at the employee to stop. The witness says she believes her intervention prevented more abuse.
Investigators say the video shows the defendant tell one of the witnesses that they didn't do anything wrong, challenging them to find a bruise. The defendant also said in the video that the witness would get in trouble and that she should mind her own business, according to the criminal complaint.
During a police interview, the defendant said that the victim was trying to bite him so he struck the victim with his phone. The defendant denied doing so intentionally but said the video "looked bad" and that the sound of the strike made the strike "appear intentional," according to the complaint.
Watch edited video of alleged attack:
Neighbor James Reynolds described the video he captured on his cell phone. “He’s walking, falls down and picks him up, and then he hits him, he hits him in the side of the head with his fist — it was a big pop.”
The video is now being used as court evidence against 47-year-old Avery Lamar Davis.
Court records accuse Davis of hitting the victim outside the group home where he was employed, called “Helping Hands Adult Family Home” near Sunset Drive and Morgan Avenue.
Katherine Hauglie says she is the mother of the victim who was punched in the video. She says she has been fighting for justice for her son after neighbors played the video for her about a month ago. “I lost it… I broke down, I cried… I've been sick ever since. He is severely autistic and nonverbal.”
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services confirmed with TMJ4 News the 2 bedroom adult group home was officially shut down Friday.
We are still working to find out from Milwaukee Police how many times they were called to this group home. We also reached out to an owner of the group home for comment and to find out if there have been any official complaints made against the business in the past, and are still waiting to hear back.
Ald. Borkowski previously mentioned neighbors in the area filed complaints about Helping Hands, citing screaming and loud music, among other issues.
Online court records show Davis will be in court for their preliminary hearing on Oct. 3.
The maximum sentence associated with their charge is three and a half years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
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