Thursday, March 13, 2014

Maintenance Man Arrested For Murder, Had Concealed Carry Permit

UPDATE, from Dan O'Donnell: Maintenance man under arrest for suspicion of first degree intentional homicide.
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If Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn knew this bit of information yesterday, he didn't mention it during the news conference about the assault and shooting that resulted in two fatalities.

Flynn said the maintenance man who was attacked and injured by three individuals was apparently acting in self defense when he shot and killed two of them.

I didn't comment on the incident immediately because I wanted to know more of the facts, like if the maintenance man had a permit to carry the gun.

That's a very important part of the story that Flynn neglected to share. I can't believe he didn't know.

According to Charlie Sykes, the maintenance man DID have a valid concealed carry permit.

Today, we learn the maintenance man, described by Flynn as cooperating with police, is under arrest.

From WISN-TV:

WISN 12 News reporter Nick Bohr said the 39-year-old maintenance man at the center of a beating was arrested in the case.

A 19-year-old man and a 17-year-old woman were shot and killed Wednesday afternoon inside a stairwell of an apartment building near 27th and Vliet streets.

Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said that three people got into a fight with the building's maintenance man.

One person began to beat the maintenance man with a bat while another person held him. The maintenance man had a handgun and fired, killing two people, Flynn said.

The third person, a 21-year-old man, is in police custody.

A person who lives in the building told WISN 12 News that the maintenance man had been there a few months, was a veteran and seemed like a nice guy.

"I'm glad that he's in the hospital and I'm going to pray for him," said Walter Deno.

Flynn said there is a witness who they are interviewing, and there is videotape of the attack and shooting.
It would have been better for Flynn to not address the media, rather than misleading the public. Flynn gave no indication whatsoever that the victim of the attack had a gun permit.

Why is the victim in jail?

When will we see the video? Soon, I hope.

Think of the many videos the public gets to see, especially when police are doing the beating, acting inappropriately, or considered to be acting negligently.

Those videos are played in endless loops.

I want to see what happened here. I want to see the three people attack the man with a baseball bat and his response.

Thankfully, there's a video.

It will be much more difficult for Tom Barrett, Flynn, and others to spin this case.