In the late hours of November 4, 2008, a confrontation outside a home on Milwaukee's northwest side ended in the tragic death of 32-year-old Angelo McCaleb. The evening began when McCaleb and a friend met a woman at a local bar. This woman had borrowed a car from a 45-year-old man named Curtis L. Jackson. When Jackson called and asked for his car to be returned, the woman drove back to his residence at 3776 N. 60th St., with McCaleb and his friend following in their own vehicle.
Upon their arrival around 11:30 p.m., an argument ensued. Jackson asked McCaleb and his friend to leave his property, but they refused. The situation escalated when two other women at the residence began to argue with McCaleb, pushing him and insisting that he depart. Jackson, stating he felt the need to protect himself, retrieved a handgun from his car. After pushing McCaleb and again telling him to leave, Jackson watched as McCaleb walked towards his own car, seemingly reaching for something.
As McCaleb then walked quickly back towards him, Jackson warned him to stop. When McCaleb continued to approach, Jackson fired a single shot from about four feet away, striking him in the chest. When police arrived at the scene, they found McCaleb lying on his back. Jackson was pacing nearby and immediately admitted his involvement to an officer, stating, "I did it. I shot him," and pointed out the location of the gun on top of a car. He also expressed regret, saying, "Sorry, I did not mean to do it."
Curtis L. Jackson was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree reckless homicide for the shooting death of Angelo McCaleb. He claimed self-defense in the ensuing legal proceedings. A jury ultimately found Jackson guilty of the lesser charge of second-degree reckless homicide by use of a dangerous weapon. An appeal was later filed, which included a request to introduce evidence of the victim's alleged reputation for violence, but this was denied as Jackson was unaware of this reputation at the time of the shooting. The court upheld the conviction.
