Milwaukee's Fire and Police Commission announced plans to take over the internal investigation into an off-duty incident involving a longtime Milwaukee Police officer on Tuesday
Michael Mattioli was charged with the death of Joel Acevedo in April. Investigators say Mattioli was off-duty when he got in a fight with Acevedo last month. Acevedo later died as a result.
The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission requested that police turn over its internal investigation into the incident on Tuesday to ensure full transparency. Milwaukee Police Chief Alphonso Morales supports the decision.
"We want the best outcome to be transparent with the community. We offered the Fire and Police commission the opportunity to complete the internal piece for full transparency in the investigation," Morales said.
According to court documents, officers were called to a report of a fight at Mattioli’s home near 45th and Cleveland on April 19. The officer was said to be hosting a gathering at his home with friends.
When Mattioli woke up in the morning he claimed to have seen Acevedo "going through the pockets of the pants he, was wearing," according to the complaint. After being confronted, Acevedo said that he wasn't stealing.
The Milwaukee Police Department released the following statement about the investigation Tuesday.
Given the unique circumstances surrounding this incident, MPD took extraordinary steps to maintain the integrity of the investigation while keeping the trust of the community. Prior to arriving at the scene on the morning of the incident, Chief Alfonso Morales had already requested that the criminal investigation be handled by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office to avoid any appearance of bias.
The Milwaukee Police Department is grateful for the outside agencies that handled the criminal investigation from the beginning, and we appreciate the Fire & Police Commission’s willingness to conduct the internal investigation.
Mattioli is expected to appear in a Milwaukee County courtroom in June.
This is a developing story. Stay with TMJ4 News for further updates.
