Milwaukee Police Shoots Innocent Bystander In Gut - DA Rules Justified - Earning The Hate

MILWAUKEE —
New body camera video shows a Milwaukee police officer shoot the wrong man during the pursuit of a suspect.

The shooting happened Sept. 8, 2019, near North 26th Street and West Auer Avenue.

Officer Nikolas Zens was chasing a suspect who fled a traffic stop.

As the suspect ran into a home, Zens mistakenly shot the homeowner, Tari Davis.

The Milwaukee Police Department has not publicly released Zens' body camera video.

It was obtained by Davis' legal team.

He is suing the city and police for violating his civil rights.

Zens was later fired by the Fire and Police Commission after they determined he violated department policy when he fired the single shot.

Davis was hit in the stomach.

He said he wanted the body camera video released in order to have transparency from police.

"For me, it's a thing of accountability and transparency," Davis told WISN 12.

It shows Zens pursuing the suspect through a dark yard.

"He turned around and went like this. He turned around and went like this," Zens told responding officers after he shot Davis. "Oh, Jesus."
Zens had one and a half years of experience with the department at the time of the shooting.
Days after he was shot, Davis called for Zens to be fired. MPD never publicly identified Zens or announced its decision to fire him. He was named in the FPC's decision to fire him.

According to the decision, Chief Alfonso Morales said Zens "failed to meet deadly force requirement of target isolation." This means "you can shoot at your target without danger of harming innocent people."

Commissioners approved a 20-day, unpaid suspension and discharge from the department. Zens apologized at his disciplinary appeal trial in December 2020.

"I cannot express enough of my apologies to Mr. Davis and I hope he can forgive me," Zens said. "The city deserves the best officers, ones that genuinely want to help, please let me help again."

Zens was also never criminally charged. A letter from the District Attorney's office to Morales that said Zens "did not act unreasonably under the circumstances." Meaning he acted "reasonable" when he shot an unarmed, unInvolved Bystander.

It added that Zens thought the suspect was armed and going to fire at him.

Police never found a firearm on the man.

Davis said the shooting terrorized his family.

"When you're totally an innocent bystander and you and your family get treated this way, it kind of hits different," Davis said.

The man Zens was chasing was later charged and convicted.

Davis said he still wanted additional police body camera video to be released.