Crime

Ex-Officer Found Not Guilty After Fatally Shooting Sylville Smith

Former Milwaukee police Officer Dominique Heaggan-Brown was found not guilty in the death of Sylville Smith.

Ex-Officer Found Not Guilty After Fatally Shooting Sylville Smith
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Almost a year after former police Officer Dominique Heaggan-Brown fatally shot Sylville Smith, a jury found him not guilty of first-degree reckless homicide.

Smith was killed in August 2016 after fleeing a traffic stop. He was reportedly armed when he led officers on a foot chase, and Heaggan-Brown's lawyers argued that the former officer was acting in self-defense.

Police body camera videos — some of which were not released to the public — were integral to the investigation. The videos show that Heaggan-Brown fired two shots. The second one ultimately killed Smith.

Female Officers Are Rarely Involved In Deadly Police Shootings
Female Officers Are Rarely Involved In Deadly Police Shootings

Female Officers Are Rarely Involved In Deadly Police Shootings

Female officers tend to be more verbal than physical, according to research.

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The shooting prompted violent protests in Milwaukee's Sherman Park neighborhood.

Heaggan-Brown is still facing multiple charges of sexual assault. The crimes are not connected to Smith's death, but they are the reason he was fired from the Milwaukee police force.