WAUWATOSA, WI (WSAU) – A Wauwatosa police officer who shot and killed a teenager outside a mall won’t face criminal charges.
Prosecutor ruled that officer Joseph Mensah was justified in using deadly force against 17-year-old Alvin Cole at the Mayfair Mall on February 2nd. Both the victim and the officer are black.
An investigation into the shooting shows that Cole ran from police after a disturbance inside the mall, and that he fired a gun before he was shot and killed. Cole’s family disputes that version of events.
A statement from District Attorney John Chisholm said: “In this case, there is sufficient evidence that Officer Mensah had an actual subjective belief that deadly force was necessary and that belief was objectively reasonable. I do not believe that the State could disprove self-defense or defense of others in this case and therefore could not meet the burden required to charge Officer Mensah.”
Officer Mensah had killed two other people in the line of duty in separate incidents. He was cleared of wrongdoing in those incidents as well.
The Wisconsin National Guard was called to Wauwatosa to maintain order as the decision was announced. Demonstrators had gathered on several occasions outside of Mensah’s home. He was assaulted in his yard during one of those incidents, and a stray bullet hit the residence.
