The Milwaukee Police Department has released edited footage from officers’ body cameras from a fatal police shooting near 91st and Silver Spring Drive.
The footage, which you can view here, was released as part of MPD’s Community Briefings released by the department after critical incidents. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
The footage shows officers chasing 31-year-old Herman Lucas first by car, then on a foot pursuit after the suspect crashed his vehicle near 91st and Silver Spring.
Surveillance video shows Lucas carrying a semi-automatic firearm. After failing to scale a fence, the suspect turned towards the officer and the officer fired his gun, striking the suspect multiple times.
The video ends with an officer seen dragging Lucas by his foot and officers attempting life-saving measures.
The footage was released a day after MPD released body camera video from the night Officer Peter Jerving and the suspect he was chasing, Terrell Thompson, were both shot to death.
It also comes after advocates took the floor at a meeting of the Milwaukee Police and Fire Commission to call for the adoption of a 24/48 system for releasing this type of footage/
The procedure would require the names of police officers involved in the incidents to be released within 24 hours, while unedited video footage of the incident would be required to be released within 48 hours.
The commission is considering revising the current guidelines, which are informal rather than codified. Right now, MPD’s goal is to release footage through Community Briefings within 45 days.
The footage in the Hernan Lucas case was released exactly 45 days after the shooting.
Currently, two draft proposals have been made to create a video release policy for the department. One draft, written by MPD officials, proposes the department keep its 45-day timeline from the incident to release relevant video footage to the community.
The other, proposed by the commission, would revise the timeline to 15 days.