Milwaukee Police Fire Officer Who Killed Sylville Smith Following Sexual Assault Charges

The Milwaukee Police Department announced Monday it has fired the officer who fatally shot a black Milwaukee man in August, sparking days of unrest in the city, and who was later brought up on unrelated sexual assault charges.

In a news release posted on Twitter, the Police Department said it had terminated the employment of Dominique Heaggan-Brown as a “result of a Milwaukee Police Department Internal Affairs investigation related to the criminal complaint filed against him on Thursday, Oct. 20th.”

Milwaukee Police Terminate Employment of Dominique Heaggan-Brown https://t.co/t2RLuO9tJs pic.twitter.com/1jR2c5r3Sf

— Milwaukee Police (@MilwaukeePolice) October 31, 2016

Heaggan-Brown, who is also black, shot and killed 23-year-old Sylville Smith on Aug. 13 on Milwaukee’s north side following a foot chase. The shooting was followed by days of protests, rioting and looting. Police later said Smith was armed at the time of his death.

The October criminal complaint includes allegations Heaggan-Brown took a man to a bar the day after the shooting where they drank and watched news coverage of the unrest. The victim told police he had difficulty recalling everything that happened after they left the bar but that he felt drugged. He said he woke up to find Heaggan-Brown assaulting him.

On Oct. 20, authorities charged Heaggen-Brown with two felony counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of felony recording of nudity without consent and two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution. The charges include the alleged August assault as well as instances in July and the previous December.

In their statement Monday, the Milwaukee Police Department wrote Heaggan-Brown violated their code of conduct, which states officers will obey state and federal laws both on and off duty.