Steering & Rules Committee to take up files seeking information on fatal shooting during RNC, details on convention-related arrests, economic impact
Three files sponsored by a group of Common Council members seeking information from city officials and partners about the police-involved shooting that left a Milwaukee man dead during the Republican National Convention (RNC) in July – as well as information about arrests tied to the convention and whether the event delivered on projected local economic impact – will be heard by the Council’s Steering and Rules Committee on Monday, September 9.
Common Council communication File #240504 – like the other two files, authored by Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs and cosponsored by Alderman Mark Chambers, Jr., Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II, Alderwoman Larresa Taylor, Alderwoman Andrea M. Pratt, and Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic – seeks to get information directly from Milwaukee Police and the Fire and Police Commission about the July 16 fatal shooting of a 42-year-old Milwaukee man near N. 13th and W. Vliet Streets by officers from Columbus, OH.
The group is led by Alderwoman Coggs.
“The fatal shooting by the Columbus officers took place outside the RNC security zones, and I believe the public deserves to learn of the circumstances – as much as is possible in a public meeting – and we would also like to discuss more broadly the rules of engagement for those officers and what the thinking was as to where out-of-town officers were placed during the entirety of the RNC,” Alderwoman Coggs said.
A second communication file (Council File #240505) seeks to determine how much beneficial economic impact the city saw from the RNC, as $200 million was the projected impact per the city’s agreement with RNC.
Alderwoman Coggs said it is hoped that officials tied to the RNC – including but not limited to officials from VISIT Milwaukee and/or the administration of Mayor Cavalier Johnson – can shed light on the true economic impact. “We saw an intense amount of activity within the security zones, but things were not as robust outside,” she said. “We would like to know if disadvantaged and emerging business enterprises were in the mix and benefited during the RNC, as was promised.”
The third and final communication file (Council File #240506) seeks information about RNCrelated arrests, police contacts and ticketed violations that were recorded inside and outside the security zones during the RNC.
“Juneteenth, Brady Street Fest, and other community events generate MPD arrest reports and statistics, so we believe the public should also be privy to similar information related to the RNC,” Alderwoman Coggs said.
The Steering and Rules Committee meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. on September 9, and will be streamed live on the City Channel (channel 25 on Spectrum Cable and channel 99 on AT&T U-Verse in the City of Milwaukee) and via streaming video on the city website at city.milwaukee.gov/Channel25.
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