Milwaukee man charged with killing tavern owner, shooting two witnesses

Ashley Luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A Milwaukee man is accused of killing a tavern owner and then shooting two witnesses in the head two weeks later, prosecutors say.

Michael Cooper

Michael R. Cooper, 38, was charged Friday with first-degree intentional homicide and being a felon in possession of a firearm in the shooting death of Michael Patton, 44, who was killed inside his bar, Mike's Place, last fall.

The case is expected to be combined with two attempted homicide charges filed against Cooper in November when prosecutors say he shot two witnesses to Patton's homicide.

It's the latest example of the problem of witness intimidation in Milwaukee. Last week, a 35-year-old man pleaded guilty to killing a man, fatally shooting a witness to the homicide and then plotting to kill a second witness from behind bars.

According to the criminal complaint:

Cooper asked a man for a ride to Mike's Place on Oct. 24, saying Patton owed him money. The man drove a minivan to the tavern, near N. 35th St. and W. Silver Spring Drive, and Cooper went inside carrying a duffel bag. When the man followed him inside, he saw Cooper pointing a gun at Patton, who was standing behind the bar with his hands up.

Cooper fired the gun and shot Patton multiple times. As a wounded Patton staggered behind the bar, Cooper ran to him and began beating him over the head with liquor bottles.

Investigators would later collect blood from the scene and send it to the State Crime Laboratory. Results received in January showed the blood droplets matched the DNA profile from Cooper. Cellphone records also placed a phone associated with Cooper at the homicide scene.

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The day of the homicide, Cooper used lighter fluid to set the minivan aflame and firefighters were called to extinguish it. Hours later, firefighters got a report of a garbage fire in the 3200 block of N. 17th St. Once the flames were stomped out, firefighters noticed an empty box of ammunition among the burned items and called police. 

Officers picked up the ammunition box, a paper with Patton's name,  an empty duffel bag, ski mask, mechanic gloves and other debris from the area.

On Nov. 7, two people were shot in the head in the area near N. 46th and W. Clarke streets. Both people survived their injuries. One of the individuals was a witness to the tavern homicide, while the other had some knowledge of it, according to investigators.

Cooper made his initial court appearance on the new homicide charge Friday and his bail was set at $500,000. He's due back in court March 3 for a preliminary hearing.

While police were investigating Patton's killing, they followed a trail of blood at the homicide scene to an apartment above the bar and discovered a drug trafficking operation. The suspect in that drug case, Maurice Cain, told police he was a bar manager and considered Patton to be "like a brother," the criminal complaint says.

Cain has pleaded not guilty to seven felonies related to drugs and guns and is expected in court March 14 for a status hearing.