MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Cell phone video captured the tense moments when a suspect shot at Milwaukee police officers, who returned fire. The suspect and three officers were shot and injured.
The incident happened Thursday morning near 91st Street and Custer Avenue on Milwaukee's north west side.
Police were attempting to arrest 35-year-old Keith Jeter.
TMJ4 typically does not name suspects who have not been charged, but an exception was made in this case because police officers were shot.
Court documents reveal Jeter's troubled past and alleged failure to comply with the law and court orders.
The case dates back to October 2020. According to court records, Jeter was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, domestic abuse, and false imprisonment.
Watch: New details about suspect who shot police Thursday near 91st and Custer
On Oct. 15, 2020, around 1 a.m., Jeter’s boyfriend at the time said an argument broke out, and Jeter took his phone to prevent him from calling the police. Jeter allegedly pointed a gun at the boyfriend, threatened to shoot him if he left, and threatened to tie him up if he didn’t remain quiet.
Later that morning, court records state that Jeter continued to wave the gun around and allegedly told his boyfriend he would shoot him and his family if he contacted the police.
Police said Jeter also told his boyfriend he would "engage in a shootout with the police" if they came to their home. Hours later, Jeter was arrested.
Court records show Jeter was in jail from that day until Dec. 29, 2022, when he posted cash bail and agreed to wear a GPS ankle monitor.
On May 19, 2023, records show his ankle monitor was tampered with. Since then, Milwaukee police have been trying to locate him.
“Obviously they were working with the U.S. Marshals task force. This is a special investigations division that went out there, and there’s a reason why they’re trying to get somebody like this. Just a violent person who had no regard for police officers” said Alexander Ayala.
Ayala has been with the Milwaukee Police Department for more than 25 years and is president of the Milwaukee Police Association.
He said with Jeter's criminal history and the chaos he caused Thursday, things could have ended very differently.
“These are the officers who are out there every day, risking their lives, to get people like this out of society—people who are hurting officers or others. So, everyone there is a hero,” Ayala said.
Ayala also noted that MPD officers recently received new ballistic shields. He said the officer who entered Jeter’s apartment first was holding that shield, which sustained significant gunfire.
Without that shield, Ayala said the situation could have been much worse.
Milwaukee police said Jeter has not been criminally charged at this time.
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