In the early morning hours of June 25, 2018, the life of a 31-year-old Black / African American man, Deshaun Honeycutt, was tragically cut short in Racine, Wisconsin. Around 3:20 a.m., the sound of gunfire pierced the quiet at the intersection of Blake Avenue and Albert Street, prompting calls to the Racine police. Investigators were dispatched to the scene to look into the reports of shots being fired.
A short time after the initial reports of gunfire, a discovery was made about a mile
away from the intersection. Near Spring Street and Freres Avenue, a vehicle had crashed into an electric pole. Inside was Deshaun Honeycutt. It was soon determined by the medical examiner's office that he had not died from the crash, but from being fatally shot in the back. The sequence of events painted a grim picture of his final moments, fleeing from an assailant.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led authorities to a suspect. Francisco Ortiz, a 21-year-old from Racine, was arrested in connection with the deadly shooting. He was subsequently charged with first-degree intentional homicide for the death of Deshaun Honeycutt. Legal proceedings against Ortiz were scheduled to begin the following month, marking the start of the judicial process for a violent act that ended a man's life.
