MILWAUKEE COUNTY

Family, friends of Milwaukee man fatally shot by officers earlier this year want answers

Haley Hansen

Milwaukee

Family members and friends of Jermaine Claybrooks — who was fatally shot on Milwaukee's north side during an encounter with police officers earlier this year — say they're tired of the lack of clarity regarding his death.

"We're not getting any type of information. We just want answers," Claybrooks' aunt, Beverly Walker, said. "We want closure on this and justice for his kids."

Jermaine Claybrooks' aunt, Beverly Walker, holds a sign with Claybrooks' obituary and speaks to family and friends on June 25. "He was, and still is, a beautiful person," she said. "He was there for everyone."

About 40 family members and friends gathered Sunday near the location where Claybrooks was shot. Many expressed deep frustration over the lack of updates from the Milwaukee County district attorney's office.

Claybrooks, 32, was shot March 16 in the 4900 block of N. 19th Place during an encounter with West Allis and Milwaukee police and officers with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. At a news briefing on the night of the shooting, Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn said a drug investigation led officers in plainclothes to Claybrooks' vehicle, where they were "confronted by an individual with a firearm in his hand." Flynn said Claybrooks was a suspected drug dealer.

A report on the fatal shooting was sent to prosecutors in early May. The shooting was investigated by the Milwaukee County Suburban Investigations Team led by Wauwatosa police. The team did not include officers from either the West Allis or Milwaukee police departments.

Keyanna Allen, who has a 5-year-old son with Claybrooks, described him as a caring and sensitive person. He was afraid of bugs, she said. He didn't swear.

"He was a good father. He was involved," she said. "He went to basketball games, parent-teacher conferences."

Family and friends participate in a moment of silence on Sunday to remember Jermaine Claybrooks and others who have died in officer-involved shootings.

Little information has been released since the shooting and it is unknown publicly which agencies opened fire. A witness to the shooting told reporters that a police vehicle rammed the back of Claybrooks' car before it crashed into a tree and that Claybrooks never had a chance to surrender before officers began to fire.

The witness said Claybrooks was still inside the vehicle, which had tinted windows that were rolled up, when officers opened fire and when the shooting ended, officers retreated and began yelling at Claybrooks to get out of the car and surrender.

Community activist Tory Lowe helped organize Sunday's gathering. He urged those in attendance to be vocal about holding authorities accountable.

"If we want justice, we're going to have to march, be loud and do our own digging," he said.

Those at the gathering held a moment of silence for others who have died in officer-involved shootings, including Sylville Smith and Terry Williams.

Walter Stern, the Claybrooks family's attorney, said he has a meeting with the district attorney's office later this week. He said the case's timeline is still unclear.

"I don't feel like we're on their deadline," he said.