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Subscribe to RSSA Milwaukee woman wants two city police officers disciplined for not fully investigating her hit-and-run accident last year even after an assailant awaits sentencing on the offense, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
Nikki Harris-Brown, an AT&T sales representative, filed a complaint with the city's Fire and Police Commission in May 2010, alleging that Milwaukee police officers Timothy Meinecke and Dean Lidwi violated department rules because they did not fully investigate her case, the newspaper reported.
"I didn't feel they were doing their jobs," she told the Journal Sentinel on Thursday. "I was almost killed out there. You mean to tell me that wasn't enough for you to pursue this person or figure out what happened and fully investigate it? They did it to the minimum of what they were supposed to do. Every time I talked to them, they were so nonchalant. It was like it didn't matter."
Read complete coverage from The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Brown suffered multiple injuries after being hit by a white Ford Expedition and dragged about 40 feet following a fight outside a city pub on April 18, 2010, according to the newspaper.
Witnesses told investigators that the two officers did what the department's standard operating procedure for vehicle crashes requires them to do. Both offcers have maintained they conducted an appropriate investigation.
Brown, however, disagreed and said she had to track down the suspect herself after police took long to investigate her case.
"I really feel if I went this far by myself, that's not going to deter me. Because they did not do their job," she said. "I'm not the smartest person in the world, but I'm far from done."
Kenneth Smith Jr. was later arrested in connection to the incident. He pleaded no contest to felony hit-and-run with intent to cause great bodily harm. Smith awaits sentencing in January, the Journal Sentinel reported.
The commission is scheduled to meet within a few weeks to determine if any rules were violated, according to the newspaper.
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This sounds like typical law enforcement. I was hit by a mini van in my truck a few years ago and I did what I thought was correct. I jumped out, got the license plate number, then the dick drove away. They knew who the vehicle belonged to, but when she didn't answer the door at her residence, they were like "well, we tried". I called the officer handling the case multiple times and he said he'd done all he could. I asked, "don't you put a warrant out for her arrest?" He replied, "we don't really do that for hit and runs". That was five years ago. The Casper WY Police Department is in my opinion inept and lazy.
I do believe her also. I have been hit three times on a bicycle. They were not hit and runs. I was treated like an assailant by one officer. She accused me of lying. The driver shared a lane with me, sideswiped me and I went flying resulting in broken bones. The driver was not cited at all. The officer stated she didn't know bicycle laws. The disrespect officers are showing citizens is just awful.
The defendant is lucky he isn't facing an attempted murder charge. Weapons like guns & cars (when used in an attack) usually come with only one agenda... to kill. The dude tried to run this woman down intentionally and dragged her 40ft for Pete's sake!!! When you do that you don't just "intend to injure" someone. This isn't the same as throwing a punch...
I have heard of incidents here in AZ where cops don't thoroughly investigate simple hit & runs involving two vehicles, unless there is already a warrant out for the suspect's arrest. But I have never known them to not take a car-vs-person case seriously. If they really did this in WI, then that is just beyond the pale!!! Maybe Mr. Smith is in the "friends of 5-0" club?
Remember the Milwaukee police turned a young victim of Jeffrey Dahmer back over to him after the poor guy escaped from Dahmer's apartment. The young man was then killed by Dahmer. Sounds like they haven't learned much.
I found out by reading detective novels that it is the policy of police departments to expend no effort on hit and runs... unless the victim is someone either with clout or who knows someone with clout.
I don't think law enforcement does their job effectively, they are either incompetent, lazy or even worse than that complacent in their duty to bring criminals to justice. I also believe they are very rude when you call them to see where your case is. I have no faith in law enforcement in my area either, and I do not trust them at all, so it must be a national problem. Internal investigations are not of any help either becuase it isn't a third party investigating complaints against the department, but their own superior's investigating citizen's complaints about any police misconduct. Dectives not processing things like evidence after it's in their custody is also another injustice when it's a rape test kit. I also think law enforcement can be sexist, and bias depending on their characters, and their own set of moral and ethical standards as a result of that they actually become hostile and confrontational when questioned about their investigations, or in my case a lack of one by a victim. Checks and balances are not within this system when they behave badly, and just a few bad apples will spoil the whole bunch. When they screw up, they cover up. They should be fired and their rights of any authority over civilans revoked indefinitely. Some officers are not fit for duty and odds are they never were.
Sana Powers
Sana Powers,
Are your opinions of law enforcement based off of personal experiences?
Or instead, are you jumping on the "all cops are corrupt" bandwagon that seems to be so popular today.
Do you carry a concealed weapon and deliver your own justice or do you call those whom you belittle and ask for help?
Cops are like all of us. It is not TV. They are on an 8 hour a day job. Not to defend them, but how much time do any of us really work in a 8 hour day...........watch it now....LOL
I don't know about your job, but on mine, when I am given a project, I am expected to finish it. If this woman, with no official contacts or presence, could find her assailant, the cops should have. There's no excuse for failure to do so.
Cops and other people in positions of power and authoritative responsibility do not have the luxury that you & I have, David. No one forced them to be a cop. They CHOSE to wear that badge. And by accepting it, they have to dismiss any temptation to slack off or half-ass their work. People's lives, prosperity and health are at stake and that is why society is supposed to hold them in as high regard as a soldier.
If you only joined the force to boss people around and get free donuts then they are doing it for the wrong reasons.
Sana, police are human beings with strengths and foibles. Your description of them could be said about any group of humans - Think about it. If I'm a customer service rep taking my 30th phone complaint, I might begin to sound ambivalent too. There will always be a police officer who deserves to be fired for actions (or in-actions) unbecoming or a dereliction of duty - that's for the investigation to resolve. Most officers are hard-working and dedicated and, unlike you or me, put their life on the line every day. I suggest you request a ride-along with an officer or detective and discover just how stressful their "routine" day is. I've done it, and it's an eye-opener. Best wishes...
@ falcon11 - I can see where you're coming from. I really can. I mean, look at all the crazy stuff we read about in the news (like this). The police are usually the first to hear about it, and they are stuck with all the grizzly details we don't get in a four or five paragraph story day after day.
However, that being said, consider the the position in society that police officers fill. They are there for the express purpose of handling crime - of any nature - and I believe they should to be held to a higher standard. They chose their field of work, and everything that comes with it.
Cops, ultimately work for your local prosecutor, not you. It is up to the police, whether it be a traffic violation or murder, to bring a case to the D.A. that can be won. Unless you catch them in the act, it is hard to prove crimes like this one or burglary, etc. Whereas drugs, prostitution, so-called vice crimes, are usually slam-dunk convictions (as most people cop a plea). In defense of the cops, a few pot smoking 20-year-old kids were taken off the street while this victim did their job and searched for her perpetrator.
There are more and bigger headlines to busting a guy sitting in his own front room doing a number. More and bigger headlines protecting us from ourselves than protecting us from someone else. D.A.s are elected officials gotta get headlines in order to get votes. Job security and a kinda-like greed thing.