On the evening of August 31, 2020, a seemingly trivial neighborhood issue escalated into a fatal encounter for Naeem Sarosh, a 35-year-old male. The incident unfolded at approximately 6:00 p.m. on the 4800 block of South 22nd Place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sarosh, a four-year veteran Community Service Officer with the Milwaukee Police Department, was off-duty when he approached his neighbor's home to address the matter of grass clippings left on his property after his neighbor had mowed the
lawn.
The subsequent interaction was captured by a security camera on the neighbor's house. The footage reportedly showed Sarosh standing at the door, speaking with his neighbor, 65-year-old Mohammed Afzal. Sarosh's posture was described as relaxed, with his hands in his pockets, and his tone did not appear to be raised. In a sudden turn of events, Afzal raised a handgun and fired at Sarosh. As Sarosh turned to flee, a second shot was fired. Despite attempts at life-saving measures by first responders, Sarosh was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Shortly after the shooting, Mohammed Afzal was taken into custody by the Milwaukee Police Department. He was subsequently charged with first-degree reckless homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon. During an interview with investigators, Afzal admitted to the shooting. He claimed that he came to the door already armed and shot Sarosh because his hands were in his pockets, which made him think Sarosh had a gun. However, he also acknowledged that Sarosh never displayed a weapon and stated that he fired to "scare" him away. After the shooting, Afzal went inside, put his gun away, and changed his clothes, anticipating the arrival of the police. The investigation was handled by the Homicide Division, which prepared to present criminal charges to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.
