Sunday, June 22, 2025
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Sunday, June 22, 2025

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Darreon Parker-Bell: Suspect in Milwaukee Police District 5 Shooting

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Darreon Parker-Bell was previously convicted in the shooting of an 8-year-old girl but only got 40 days in the House of Correction from a judge appointed by Tony Evers.

Darreon Parker-Bell is the suspect in the District 5 police shooting in Milwaukee, according to a law enforcement source and a social media post from a relative.

Although police have stopped short of specifying a motive officially, Parker-Bell’s social media posts show that he was very angry about the death of Keishon Thomas in police custody at District 5. Parker-Bell posted repeatedly about Thomas’s death in the hours and days before the shooting and is in photographs with him. In one recent post, he wrote, “MY F*CKIN BROTHER” with a broken heart emoji. Two days ago, he wrote, “I love you Keishon.”However, a family spokesperson told Wisconsin Right Now that the Thomas family does not know who Parker-Bell is and denies he’s a relative.

Just hours before the shooting, Darreon Parker-Bell shared a news story about Keishon’s death on his Facebook page, writing, “Count down start now.”

Darreon parker-bell

WISN 1130 host Dan O’Donnell obtained a surveillance photo of the suspect; his facial tattoo matches Darreon Parker-Bell’s. [Note: Keishon Thomas’s cause of death is still not clear.]

These photos emerged from the scene.

Darreon Parker-Bell

Sources tell Wisconsin Right Now that the suspect walked into the District 5 police station in Milwaukee and started shooting at police officers on Friday afternoon. He was then chased and shot by police. One of those sources said the suspect is Darreon Parker-Bell. Thomas died in police custody at district 5 earlier in the week.

Darreon parker-bell
Darreon l. Parker-bell

Wisconsin Right Now has learned that Parker-Bell has a criminal conviction for endangering safety with a dangerous weapon, a misdemeanor, from 2019. He was sentenced by Judge Kori Ashley to 40 days in the House of Correction. He says on LinkedIn that he works at a submarine shop. The court records say, “Court will allow Expungement upon successful completion of 75 hours of Community Service and new law violations in 12 Months.”

A 2019 news story from WISN-12 reported that Darreon Parker-Bell was charged in the shooting of an 8-year-old girl; she was shot by a stray bullet while playing in her living room, and the family was told a neighbor was playing with a gun.

The girl lived but was shot in the stomach. She is pictured on a GoFundMe account.

Darreon parker-bell

Judge Ashley is a Tony Evers’ appointee who worked for Legal Action of Wisconsin.

“Kori Ashley will be a dynamic judge who pushes for real change,” Evers said in a statement when he appointed the judge.

“We know that the criminal justice system is broken, and that it has an overwhelming disproportionate impact on people of color. As an attorney, Ashley has worked tirelessly to correct this. Now she’ll do so on the bench.”

Was that the kind of change Evers meant? There are CONSEQUENCES to judicial appointments.

Darreon parker-bell

Police have not confirmed the suspect information, but another man wrote on Facebook that his cousin “ran in the police station” to “retaliate.” He shared a picture of Thomas and Darreon L. Parker-Bell and tagged Parker-Bell and Thomas.

Darreon parker-bell

That man also linked to the Facebook page of Darreon Parker-Bell in another post, writing, “I know mfs ain’t just shoot my cousin answer yo phone cuz Darreon wtfffff.”

All district stations are on lockdown on Feb. 25, 2022, as a result of the shooting, a source told WRN.

 

Darreon parker-bell

“Someone shot up District 5, and the cops ran out of the district” and shot him, one of the sources said. Another source said the man came into the lobby of the district station and opened fire.

About Thomas, Darreon Parker-Bell wrote on Facebook, “Ts crazy cus I’m smiling rn just lookin back at how crazy dis shii can get My N*gga Was Amazing One ina Trillion literally… remember when we was young & I had you innat joint & we fake cooked the woo and got back on nem clucks went from gettin back to actually livin like dat man name in my presence forever witchu right or wrong cuddy literally youngest… ima miss den hour plus convos you callin my phone upping Gs on me us having money fights shii talkin laughing together it so much shii I can go on for years bout you blood but it ain’t meant for the net .. I stg I got yo kids you covered in love bro stg I’m turning up for you till den you do yo thang cus ik nun can’t stop you not even Death.”

The sources told Wisconsin Right Now that officers were not injured; they gave chase and exchanged gunfire with the man, shooting him.

The suspect was taken to Froedtert Hospital, sources said. Some sources said he was lying in the street; another said he was “revived” and taken to the hospital.

According to WISN-TV, three officers are now suspended in the Keishon Thomas death, with Police Chief Jeffrey Norman claiming there are “concerns” he did not specify.

Police said they pulled Thomas over for a traffic violation and he had a warrant; police also said he had drugs in the car. There were multiple checks of his cell at the district station. He then needed medical attention and died, despite life-saving measures. His cause of death was not released.

For some time, police have told WRN that they are being forced to hold arrested people in district stations, which aren’t equipped for that, because of the staffing crisis in the Milwaukee County Jail. Officers told us that sometimes they have to hold arrested people for days and even have to let them go because the jail won’t take them. The jail also does not take most misdemeanor arrestees anymore, due to COVID and staffing crises. Officers told us that they spend a lot of time tied up at hospitals on med runs. The union president told us just this week that the problem had improved, though.

Keishon Thomas had an open criminal misdemeanor case in Milwaukee County of theft of movable property over $2,500.

It was filed in March 2020, but was still pending, a common scenario in the backlogged court system.

In June 2021, a bench warrant was authorized when he failed to appear in court. He had a pretrial services violation report in May 2021. In May 2021, he was released on a signature bond by Court Commissioner Katryna Childs Rhodes.

Here’s the police press release on the District 5 shooting:

“On Friday, February 25, 2022, at approximately 3:03 p.m., an individual entered the Milwaukee Police Department’s District Five lobby located at 2920 Vel R. Phillips Avenue and fired several shots at MPD staff inside the lobby. At the time, there were several community members inside the lobby.

An officer returned fire, at which time the suspect fled the location on foot. Officers pursued the armed suspect on foot and encountered him on the 2900 block of N. 6th Street. During the encounter, multiple officers discharged their weapons, subsequently striking the suspect multiple times. No officers or other members of the community were injured. The suspect’s firearm was recovered. 

The suspect, a 23-year-old Milwaukee man, sustained non-fatal injuries. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Seven officers were involved: 

  • 41-year-old male officer with over 4 years of service, 
  • 37-year-old male officer with over 14 years of service, 
  • 37-year-old male officer with over 10 years of service,  
  • 35-year-old male officer with over four years of service,  
  • 33-year-old male officer with over seven years of service,  
  • 32-year-old male officer with over 5 years of service and, 
  • 27-year-old male officer with over 9 years of service.  
They will be placed on administrative duty as is routine in officer involved shootings. 
The investigation is fluid and ongoing. This incident is being investigated by the Milwaukee Area Investigative Team. The West Allis Police Department is the lead agency.”

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josh schoemann Washington County’s Early Vote

2026 GOP Candidate Josh Schoemann Challenges Evers’ Budget Approach

(The Center Square) – Josh Schoemann, the only Republican currently in the race for governor next year, is criticizing Gov. Tony Evers’ approach to the next state budget by comparing it to his plans in Washington County.

“In Washington County our budget cycle starts right now, and it’s not due until November. We will propose our budget goals to the County Board in the next couple of months. We will share ‘This is what we’re thinking.’ It gives them months of time to think those through, give us feedback, and [have] that kind of dialogue,” Schoemann explained in an interview on News Talk 1130 WISN.

Schoemann said that is far better than the approach Evers is taking again this year.

“That’s not how government is supposed to work,” Schoemann said. “It’s not the vision of the governor. It’s not the vision of any one person.”

Evers and the Republican legislative leaders who will write the budget have been involved in on-again, off-again budget talks this month. On Thursday, the governor’s office said those talks were off once again because of gridlock in the Senate.

“Ultimately, the Senate needs to decide whether they were elected to govern and get things done or not,” Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in a post on X.

Schoemann’s criticism of Evers is nothing new. He has long been a critic of the governor and has turned that criticism up since launching his campaign for governor.

But the recent criticism was also aimed at other Republicans who may jump into the 20206 governor’s race later this year.

“Nobody else in this race on the Republican side, being rumored to this point, has the executive leadership of skills and history to be able to show ‘This is how I’ve done it before, and here’s how we’ll do it Madison,’” Schoemann said. “The results in Washington County speak for themselves.”

Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany is also rumored to be looking to get into the Republican race. Before he went to Congress, Tiffany was a Republican lawmaker in Madison.

Businessman and veteran Bill Berrien is also on the short list of likely GOP candidates for 2026.

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Wisconsin Budget Negotiations Reach Impasse Between Evers, Legislature

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin budget negotiations have reached an impasse with both sides pointing fingers at the other in Wednesday afternoon statements.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Republican Legislative leaders backed out of negotiations after he agreed to “an income tax cut targeting Wisconsin’s middle-class and working families and eliminating income taxes for certain retirees.” He said Republican leaders would not agree to “meaningful increased investments in child care, K-12 schools, and the University of Wisconsin System.”

Republican Assembly leaders said the two sides were "far apart. Senate leaders say Evers’ desires “extend beyond what taxpayers can afford.”

“The Joint Committee on Finance will continue using our long-established practices of crafting a state budget that contains meaningful tax relief and responsible spending levels with the goal of finishing on time,” said a statement from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Assembly Finance Co-Chairman Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

Evers said that there were meetings between the sides every day this week before the impasse.

“I told Republicans I’d support their half of the deal and their top tax priorities – even though they’re very similar to bills I previously vetoed – because I believe that’s how compromise is supposed to work, and I was ready to make that concession in order to get important things done for Wisconsin’s kids,” Evers said.

Senate Republican leadership said that good faith negotiations have occurred since April on a budget compromise.

“Both sides of these negotiations worked to find compromise and do what is best for the state of Wisconsin,” said a statement from Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and Senate Joint Finance Co-Chairman Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green.

In early May, the Joint Committee on Finance took 612 items out of Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal, including Medicaid expansion in the state, department creations and tax exemptions.

Born previously estimated that Evers’ budget proposal would lead to $3 billion in tax increases over the two-year span.

Wisconsin Policy Forum estimated that the proposal would spend down more than $4 billion of the state’s expected $4.3 billion surplus if it is enacted.

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DOJ Begins California Title IX Investigation Over ‘Trans’ Boys Dominating Girls’ Sports

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced it is investigating California for violating Title IX by allowing males to participate in female student sports.

“Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for Civil Rights. “It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies.”

In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning males from participating in female student sports, and he has threatened to block California's federal funding for continuing to defy his order. With California facing deficits in the tens of billions of dollars each year, it's unclear how the state would offset any losses or pauses in federal funding.

Notably, California Gov. Gavin Newsom hosted conservative pundit Charlie Kirk on his podcast and told Kirk that he thinks it’s “deeply unfair” that boys are participating in girls’ sports.

When asked later at a press conference what this means for state policy, Newsom demurred, painting the matter as a marginal, non-issue not worth his time.

“You're talking about a very small number of people, a very small number of athletes, and my responsibility is to address the pressing issues of our time,” said Newsom.

The California Interscholastic Federation, which governs student sports in California, has since responded to Trump’s threat by announcing a new pilot program to allow girls who otherwise would have qualified for sports finals had the finalist spots in girls’ sports not been taken by transgender-identifying boys to participate in said finals.

Title IX was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1972 to ensure that schools could not discriminate against female students. It requires they be provided with equal opportunities to engage in athletics, extracurriculars and education.

DOJ’s letter of interest says it is investigating whether California’s Assembly Bill 1266, which requires transgender-identifying students to be allowed to participate in sports consistent with their gender identities, violates Title IX.

“As a result of CIF’s policy, California’s top-ranked girls’ triple jumper, and second-ranked girls’ long-jumper, is a boy,” wrote the DOJ. “As recently as May 17, this male athlete was allowed to take winning titles that rightfully belong to female athletes in both events.”

“This male athlete will now be allowed to compete against those female athletes again for a state title in long, triple, and high jump,” continued the DOJ. “Other high school female athletes have alleged that they were likewise robbed of podium positions and spots on their teams after they were forced to compete against males.”

Should the DOJ find California is in violation of Title IX, it says it will “take appropriate action to eliminate that discrimination, including seeking injunctive relief.”

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