On a summer evening in July of 2015, the life of 29-year-old male, Antonio Gonzales, came to a tragic end in a confrontation with police in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The events that led to his death began to unfold on July 16th when Wauwatosa police received a call about a tenant who was intoxicated and becoming violent at a residence on Glencoe Circle.
A subsequent dispatch added a chilling detail: the man was reportedly trying to use a 'spearhead' to cut the person who had called 911.
Upon their arrival, officers were met with a dangerous situation. Antonio Gonzales emerged from the front of the residence and, as he stepped into the light, the officers could see he was holding a large sword. According to reports from the investigation that followed, Gonzales advanced toward the officers with the sword raised. The officers, identified as Joseph Mensah and Jeffrey Newman, moved backward to create distance and gave numerous commands for him to drop the weapon. Witnesses in the area later confirmed hearing police shouting for him to drop his weapon, and seeing Gonzales brandishing the sword in a menacing way.
Despite the commands, Gonzales continued to advance on the officers. Fearing for their safety and the safety of others present, both officers discharged their firearms when he was within a few feet of them. Officer Mensah fired his weapon eight times, and Officer Newman fired once. Gonzales was struck by multiple gunshots and fell to the ground. An autopsy would later confirm he died from these wounds and had a blood alcohol content of. 255 at the time of his death. His roommate later told investigators that Gonzales was a collector of bladed weapons and had a history of mental health issues.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Milwaukee Police Department conducted an investigation as required by state law for officer-involved deaths. Officers Mensah and Newman were placed on administrative leave. The case was reviewed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's office, which ultimately determined that the officers acted in self-defense and would not face any criminal charges. Both officers returned to work in late August 2015. The family of Antonio Gonzales, along with the families of two other individuals killed in separate incidents involving Officer Mensah, later filed a civil lawsuit, though the claims related to Gonzales' death were eventually dismissed by a federal judge.
