Jose A. Rivera, a 32-year-old Hispanic male, was fatally shot on the evening of May 5, 2014, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The incident unfolded near the intersection of South 32nd Street and West National Avenue, where Rivera was a passenger in a friend's vehicle. The two had driven to the location with the intention of purchasing marijuana.
According to the account provided by Rivera's friend, who was driving, they had just arrived and sent a text message to the individual they were
supposed to meet. Shortly after, another vehicle, described as green, pulled up alongside them. A man, later identified as 28-year-old Jimmy D. Patterson Jr., emerged from the car, armed with a gun. He approached Rivera and his friend, announcing a robbery by stating, "Don't move, you know what time it is."
Before Rivera or his friend could react, Patterson allegedly fired one or two shots into their car, striking Rivera. In the immediate aftermath, Rivera's friend, who was in the driver's seat, took Rivera's own gun and fired a single shot at the assailant before the weapon jammed. Patterson then fled the scene. Rivera's friend immediately drove him to a nearby hospital, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
In the days following the shooting, investigators presented a photo array to the driver, who positively identified Jimmy D. Patterson Jr. as the man who shot and killed his friend. Patterson was subsequently arrested and charged with felony murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. If convicted on all charges, he faced the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence.
