"So to clear themselves in 48 hours, I was just completely flabbergasted.". She says that what led to the shooting was one of the officers shouting, "He's got my gun.". The Michael E. Bell Shooting - Evidence & Investigation "Im just proud to be part of this county and I really want to contribute to the future of this county," said Gonzalez, who filed as a Republican. Dashcam footage shows the two men talked and then struggled. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Bell had hired Michael Haag, a nationally recognized ballistics expert with the Albuquerque Police Department, to review evidence collected from the homes garage trim, which suggested that it sustained an impact from the bullet from the shooting. [], Frank Michael Hujik, age 95, a lifelong resident of Kenosha, passed away on April 22nd, 2023. "So we hired an investigative consultant who teamed up with a retired Kenosha police detective.". And the decade-old death has led to real reform in the state. Michael Bell Sr. addresses city officials in April 2022 The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide. Nevertheless, in an email message that Bell sent June 30 to dozens of Kenosha-area elected officials, Bell stated, I strongly believe, based on the findings of Allen Ezells report, that former Chief of Police John Morrissey fraudulently obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice.. Michael Bell Sr. (center) and his family stand near one of the billboards they bought in a campaign to bring awareness to internal police investigations. Bell Sr. said Wednesday that depositions in the lawsuit will begin next month. Follow him on Twitter@elliothughes12. Strausbaugh grabbed Bell and brought him back toward the driveway, helped by a second officer, Erich Weidner. Susan was born on November 11, 1951, and [], Gloria J. Laurin age 79 of Twin Lakes, WI. It was dismissed by Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Chad Kerkman on Thursday. Walker signed the bill. Before the libel suit was dismissed, another detail in the book caught Bells attention: the mention that Gonzalez makes in the narrative of a fifth officer among the witnesses to the incident in contrast to the four that had been identified in official police reports. He was born on March 1st, 1970, in Illinois, to [], Diane Reed, (Kohler/Schiller) age 75 a resident of Pleasant Prairie died April 11th, 2023, at Aurora medical Center in Mt. Kenosha.com has partnered with local funeral homes to provide up to date and comprehensive obituary listings at no cost to families. Bell's son was shot and killed by police in Kenosha, Wis. Born on June 21, 1943, she was the daughter of [], John Brady, 54, of Kenosha passed away on Thursday April 6, 2023 at Froedtert South-St. Catherines. Uber offering horse drawn carriage rides in honor of royal coronation. Born on March 26, 1956, he was the son of [], William C. Bill or Billy Lui of Kenosha, WI passed away peacefully on April 14, 2023, at the age of 74. Born on November 17, 1938, to the late Lester and Edith (Hardegen) Ruka, she attended local [], Sylvia Rapp, 65, of Kenosha passed away on Sunday April 9, 2023 at Aurora Medical Center surrounded by her loving family. She was born on June [], Robert Alan Marshall, age 67, passed away at his residence on Thursday, April 13, 2023 surrounded by his loving family. It wasn't until later that we realized just how little of an investigation had been done. Private Services were held. Born in Waldesch, Germany on June 24, 1928, she was the daughter of [], Lola P. Fuerstenberg, age 92, passed away on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at Aurora Medical Center Kenosha. And is it really proper for the police to be policing themselves? Based on the police account, the bullet would have been fired away from the garage. They gave statements that Gonzalez was on the younger Bells right side, not his left side as the police account has claimed, and that Strausbaugh was immediately behind Gonzalez. Police officers unlawfully applied deadly force against Michael Bell. hide caption. Milwaukee police officer shot and killed on city's south side, 2 police officers shot and killed in western Wisconsin traffic stop, 2 years after Kenosha unrest, Wisconsin Republicans continue to campaign on response to riots, 'If you want this commission to fail, vote these men in': Committee nominations in Kenosha County spur backlash, resignations, Wisconsin Supreme Court allows sex trafficking defense in Chrystul Kizer case, Trans student shower allegation in Sun Prairie highlights schools' challenges in protecting all students, Wisconsin's Menominee Nation taps into sustainable roots with renewable energy training, solar installation, After quintuple bypass heart surgery, Wisconsin powerlifter eyes 500-pound record this year, New medical program will treat brain injuries, PTSD for veterans and first responders in southeastern Wisconsin, Cleanup underway following derailment that sent cars into flooded Mississippi River, Bayfield County jury awards nearly $19M to family in medical malpractice lawsuit, Jury convicts former Burnett County prosecutor on 3 felony counts for secretly recording sexual encounters, Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. Bell charges that the official account of how his son died has distorted key details to justify the shooting and avoid accountability for the police department, the officers involved and the city. Born in Milo, IA on June 20, 1947, he was the son of [], Susan Burke, 68, of Kenosha passed away on April 23, 2023, surrounded by her loving family. Gonzales was one of four Kenosha officers involved in the 2004 killing of Michael Bell Jr., who he shotin the head. Bell bought every available billboard in Milwaukee with slogans like: "When Police Kill, Should They Judge Themselves?". Michael M. Bell demanded a vote of no confidence in Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian and City Administrator John Morrissey before the City Council on Monday night. The loving couple was surrounded by many family members. Wisconsin Examiner maintains editorial independence. The law they put forth would make Wisconsin the first state in the nation to mandate, on the legislative level, that if an officer was involved with a loss of life, that outside investigators must come in and collect the data and investigate that shooting. But the other officers who were on the scene were in a position to understand that Strausbaugh was mistaken, Bell and Beckman believe. Both DOJ and OLR have asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit. Bell filed suit late last summer in Kenosha County Circuit Court against the city after his requests to obtain the bullet were denied by city officials and Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley. The testing, according to Bell in correspondence with former Police Chief Daniel Miskinis along with other evidence from the scene, such as shell casing location and slug location, civilian eyewitness testimony and the finding of lead in the indentation" suggests that the bullet that killed Michael Bell was fired from an angle different than what was described in sworn testimony by Kenosha police officers.. The two walked off-camera, where police tried to arrest him. Bell and his family filed a federal civil suit in 2005 against the officers involved. Bell believes the dent was made by a bullet, and a ballistics expert he hired reported that the dent had traces of lead. A police officer who, according to a police report chose to follow Bell after observing his driving, arrived shortly after. The shooting was investigated internally by the department, which concluded after two days that there was no police wrongdoing in Michael E. Bells death. The younger Bell was killed by police during a traffic stop on Nov. 9, 2004. Sign up now! . died April 9, 2023. He vowed to take the case to the Court of Appeals and to continue investigating his sons death. Bell Jr. was resisting arrest at the time and police said he was trying to grab an officer's gun. He has filed documents seeking to question not just OLR officials but also state DOJ personnel, questioning statements that the DA had made about his communication with the crime lab analysts. The book uses partial names and sometimes fictionalized ones. Albert Gonzales, Kenosha Police officer who shot Michael E. Bell, plans Barton says. If Gonzalez was standing between Strausbaugh and Bells son, then he should have realized that the younger Bell could not have grabbed Strausbaughs weapon, they contend and so there was no need for Gonzalez to shoot. "But apparently, they either didn't hear that or disregarded it," Barton says. And in the years since the settlement, he has continued to challenge the original account of his sons death, enlisting private investigators to dig into the details and publicly airing his criticisms of the investigation, the police department and the Kenosha city government. You have permission to edit this article. This is nothing more than a case of somebody pulling the wool over everybodys eyes, Bell said in a recent interview. Michael M. Bell demanded a vote of no confidence in Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian and City Administrator John Morrissey before the City Council on Monday night . What I Did After Police Killed My Son - POLITICO Magazine documentary video says the pattern of the blood also supports the conclusion that his son was shot on the right side rather than the left. He was the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio. Barton says it didn't take long. That account also has placed Strausbaugh, the officer who had shouted that his gun had been seized, standing at Bells immediate right. In addition, according to the video, Michael E. Bells sister as well as his mother the elder Bells former wife saw the struggle. He spent 24 years as a freelance writer for Milwaukee Magazine, Isthmus, The Progressive, BNA Inc., and other publications, winning awards for investigative reporting, feature writing, beat coverage, business writing, and commentary. In 1956, Elvis Presley made his first national TV appearance on Stage Show, a CBS program hosted by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. Competitive balance is coming to WIAA high school sports. Born in Chicago, IL on September 30, 1988, at St Lukes Hospital. Bell was back in front of the city council in July with another citizen comment this time directed at the city administrator, John Morrissey. "And I just I figured it might've been shot in the leg or shot in the arm but I came to find out that an officer placed a gun directly to my son's temple and took his life.". According to the police departments official account, Kenosha Police officer Erich Strausbaugh pulled the younger Bell over into the driveway of his home after pursuing him. A video on the website shows Gonzalesdiscussing the shooting. Lincoln [], Rose Marie (Wurster) Del Frate, age 88, passed away at Library Terrace Assisted Living on Friday, April 7, 2023, surrounded by her loving family. Gina Barton says Bell was able to work with politicians on both sides of the aisle, and sold the bill as benefiting both the family members of whoever died as well as the officers involved. His grievance claimed that a strong scientific consensus contradicts Graveleys statement, and the prosecutors claim was dishonest, fraudulent, deceitful and a misrepresentation of the facts.. More:Kenosha police have killed at least 5 people in last 17 years, Weve seen this type of delusion before with him, Bell Sr. said of Gonzales. Meanwhile, the stateSupreme Court Office of Lawyer Regulationhas agreed to evaluate ifKenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley mishandled his 2017 decision not to launch a John Doe investigation into the shooting. Kenosha News Recent Obituaries: All of Kenosha News's Recent Obituaries Jan 28, 2022. She had [], Hildegarde (Naunheim) Briese, age 94, passed away on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at Aurora Medical Center Kenosha. For questions or comments, contact WPRs Audience Services at 1-800-747-7444, email listener@wpr.org or use our Listener Feedback form. Kenosha.com has partnered with local funeral homes to provide up to date and comprehensive obituary listings at no cost to families. Gonzalesalso self-published a memoir about the shooting last year titled, A Fateful Two Minutes. The book, which uses pseudonyms for Bell Jr. and his family, prompted a lawsuit from Bell Sr. alleging the book contains demonstrable falsehoods and misquotes, twisted to present Mr. Bell in a false light.. J.P., the son of John M. and Barbara K. Schwarz, was born on [], John H. Nielson, less than a month shy from his 66 years old, passedaway on April 21, 2023 at St. Lukes Hospital-Milwaukee surrounded byhis family. Two lawsuits that Bell filed one demanding that the city release the bullet that killed his son, the other accusing the officer who killed his son of libel have been dismissed; those rulings are on appeal. Morrissey was hired as administrator in June 2020, four years after retiring as Kenosha Police Chief, a position he was appointed to in 2008. Kenosha Obituaries | Local Obits for Kenosha, WI She was born January 14, 1935, in Gaustadt/Bamberg, Germany, the [], Albert (Al) J. Arzt, age 85, passed away peacefully on April 23, 2023. Ezell interviewed Morrissey twice for the report, and writes that Morrissey stood by his claim at having completed the program in the reported time. The Wisconsin Examiner has several times sought an interview with Antaramian about Bells claims and accusations. Bell Sr. said Gonzales decision to run for sheriff doesnt seem rational. A Kenosha police officer who shot and killed Michael Bell Jr. 16 years ago published a memoir about the incident this year, and now he's being sued for libel by Bell's father. In a January deposition for the libel lawsuit, Gonzalez told Bells lawyer the fifth officers full name. Wisconsin Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Search. Within 48 hours, Kenosha police ruled the shooting justified. Kenosha.com is a local, digital media platform offering interesting, engaging content created by experienced journalists and local professionals. 43 Cloudy alert Bell files civil lawsuit against police officer Dan Truttschel Oct 26, 2020 A civil lawsuit filed in Kenosha County Circuit Court accuses the Kenosha Police officer who shot. Bell filed a lawsuit in September 2021 demanding the bullet. Bell told the Wisconsin Examiner that his intent with the offer had been to publicly forgo the option of suing the city if the release of the bullet produced evidence that could lead to the city being financially exposed.. Michael M. Bell's son was killed in the driveway of his mother's home the elder Bell's ex-wife. , Kenosha Police officer Erich Strausbaugh pulled the younger Bell over into the driveway of his home after pursuing him. You guys know Ive been a pain. The grievance alleges Graveley acted with dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation in his decision not to launch the investigation. She was born on September 30, A 30-year-old Kenosha woman is facing numerous criminal charges after allegedly burglarizing a home and neglecting her children. Four officers were involved in the incident, and as Bell Jr. was held down over a car, one officer yelled Hes got my gun.. 0:29. New Bell documentary released Michael Bell Jr. KENOSHA -- On the anniversary of his son's death, Michael Bell said he hopes a new documentary will get the case reopened. Gonzales has been with the Kenosha Police Department since 1997 and is a native of Kenosha County. He believes that what happened was the result of an avoidable error in judgment an error that should be recognized and from which police and prosecutors might learn so that its less likely to happen again.