In the summer of 2014, the life of 22-year-old Joshua Drake, a Black/African American male from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, came to a violent end. On the afternoon of August 14th, Drake, along with at least one accomplice, entered Innovative Optique, an eyeglasses store in Bayside. Their intention was to commit an armed robbery. The situation quickly escalated when an armed employee inside the store confronted them. An exchange of gunfire ensued, and Drake was fatally wounded.
The employee was not injured in the shootout.
Family and friends later shared that Drake had been heading down a troubled path for some time. His father stated that Drake had left home nine months prior because he was resistant to getting a job or pursuing an education. His criminal record included a prior conviction for an armed robbery in 2010. His loved ones expressed their sorrow and hoped his death would serve as a cautionary tale for other young people.
The investigation into the attempted robbery and Drake's death was a collaborative effort involving the Fox Point Police Department, the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office. The authorities quickly identified one of Drake's accomplices as 20-year-old Tedric Sanders. Sanders was apprehended at a local hospital shortly after the incident, where he was being treated for a graze wound to the head sustained during the getaway. The getaway car was also involved in a hit-and-run crash on Interstate 43 as they fled the scene.
Tedric Sanders was subsequently charged with felony murder in connection with Drake's death. Under Wisconsin law, a person can be charged with murder if someone dies during the commission of a felony they are involved in. Sanders eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of attempted armed robbery. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, followed by seven and a half years of extended supervision. At the time of the fatal robbery attempt, Sanders was already out on bail for another charge and was ironically due in court on that very day.
