Wednesday, July 9, 2025
spot_imgspot_img
Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

BLM Marches for Man Shot in Violent Fight With Milwaukee Officer

spot_img

BLM and other activists are marching on Aug. 21 for a man named Juan Ariel Perez, who was shot and killed by a Milwaukee police officer in 2005.

We thought you might be interested in the details of what actually happened in that case, according to news articles at the time. Thus, we reviewed the Newspapers.com archives for reporting from the time of shooting. The archives show the officer an inquest jury didn’t recommend charges (and the DA didn’t file them) after he testified about a violent fight in which he said Perez, 17, tried to grab his gun and didn’t respond to orders to comply. Pepper spray didn’t deter him. The old articles say Perez was attacking his girlfriend when the officer arrived and tried to help her. The inquest jury believed the officer had probable cause to believe Perez was endangering his life.

An old Wisconsin State Journal article says that “the teen then attacked (the officer), hitting him in the head and body with his fists.” A Police Department spokeswoman said the officer told investigators Perez “tried to grab his gun.”

“Today, TPR (The People’s Revolution) will be joining our revolutionary family Bella Bella, as she remembers Juan ‘Ariel’ Perez, killed by MPD officer. We will learn who Juan was and what he meant to others in the Southside community of family & friends. We will then march through the south, showing love & sharing our voices until we get justice & change those laws. #WalkWithUs #WhichOne #HowManyMore. Meet up at 5:30pm, Mitchell Park Domes (parking lot). #LongLiveTheRevolution,” wrote Khalil Coleman of the People’s Revolution, which is part of the BLM movement in Milwaukee. The Wisconsin Bail Out the People Movement has also written about the death. Another post says, “We cannot forget our Southside sons in this time of change, struggle and injustice.”

According to a 2006 story in the Oshkosh Northwestern, the police officer in question told the inquest jury that “Juan Ariel Perez struck him in the face, ripped open his uniform shirt and seemed unfazed by pepper spray during an Aug. 21 (2005) incident. The sergeant said he tried to kick Perez in the groin and use a headlock as they wrestled in the street, but nothing seemed to work.”

“I was dazed from being hit, I thought my life was in jeopardy,” he said.

He also told the jury, according to the old Northwestern story: “I believed his hand was on top of my wrist and that he was trying to disarm me. I pulled the gun, turned it to his abdomen and fired. I thought my life was in danger and that he was out to knock me out or kill me.”

What else happened in that shooting death?


The Officer Testified That Perez Refused to Comply, Didn’t respond to Pepper Spray, Violently Attacked Him & Tried to Grab His Gun

According to a 2006 story in the Appleton Post-Crescent, an inquest jury found the police officer justified in the shooting death.

The jury deliberated for less than two hours before reaching its advisory verdict to then Milwaukee County DA E. Michael McCann, a Democrat. The jury found that the police officer in question “had probable cause to believe his life was in danger when he shot Juan Ariel Perez” in August 2016, the Post-Crescent story reported.

The officer “testified he was investigating a nearby hit-and-run accident when he found a damaged car. Perez’s girlfriend had been driving.” The officer heard a girl screaming, ‘leave me alone and get off of me,” according to the newspaper. Perez didn’t have a weapon.

The officer “found the couple fighting” and told Perez to leave her alone. He “didn’t comply” so the officer tried pepper spray.

Perez died “from a single gunshot to the chest,” according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

According to the Kenosha News, in a 2006 article, Perez’s blood alcohol level was “double the level at which the law presumes intoxication.”

Q&A with Tommy Clark, Author of The 2020 Portland Riots: A Fight Against Domestic Terrorism

By Chris Mann Read part 1: Chris Mann's review of The 2020 Portland Riots: A Fight Against Domestic Terrorism by Tommy Clark. Tommy Clark and...

Protecting Portland: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished [REVIEW]

By Chris Mann An In-Depth Review of The 2020 Portland Riots: A Fight Against Domestic Terrorism by Tommy Clark. This summary is the second in...
Governor’s Veto Powers Wisconsin Republicans Parental Bill of Rights Outlaw Child Sex Dolls Embrace Them Both Unemployment Reforms Wisconsin’s Professional Licensing Bail Reform Amendment wisconsin covid-19

Conservative Wins in the Wisconsin State Budget Bill That Passed July 3

Wisconsin has a divided government, and, with a Democrat in the governor's mansion, conservatives were not going to get everything they wanted. However, there...

Shorewood Officer Shot; Glendale Pursues Suspect, Who Appears Dead

A Shorewood, Wisconsin, police officer was shot but saved by his bulletproof vest in the early morning hours of July 3. Several hours later, Glendale...
kendall corder

MPD Confirms Sad News That Officer Kendall Corder Has Died; Procession Unfolding

The Milwaukee Police Department has officially confirmed the tragic news that Officer Kendall Corder has died in the line of duty. Earlier in the day,...

Oconomowoc Rotary Refuses to Document ‘Threats’ & There’s No Police Reports

Getting criticized is hard, but reasonable criticism - even heated criticism - is not a threat. And it's what representative democracy is all about,...
kendall corder, tremaine jones

Tremaine Jones: Milwaukee DA Declined to Prosecute Him 4 Times Leading Up to Officer Shooting

KEY FINDINGS: Accused cop shooter Tremaine Jones was given a deferred prosecution agreement for a 2021 Milwaukee case involving a stolen Kia and...
Killed by Milwaukee Reckless Drivers Milwaukee Reckless Drivers Kill Box In Milwaukee Police

2 Milwaukee Police Officers Shot Near 25th & Garfield

Two Milwaukee police officers were shot on the evening of June 26, police confirmed. One officer remains in critical condition and the second does...
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.

richard van buren

Richard Van Buren Arrested in Dodge County Dog’s Death, Sheriff Says

Richard Van Buren, the chairman of the Chester Town Board in Wisconsin, was arrested in the death of a golden retriever dog in rural...

Rep. Donovan, Greenfield Officials Outraged at Release of Accused Random Stabber

State Rep. Bob Donovan and top Greenfield officials are expressing outrage and concern over the release of a man who is accused of randomly...

Dodge County Dog’s Death Under Investigation by Wisconsin Sheriff

Update: Richard Van Buren, the chairman of the Town of Chester Board, has now been arrested. See the story here. The Dodge County Sheriff's Office...
Anthony LoCoco

Anthony LoCoco Running for WI Court of Appeals to Defend the Constitution

Note: Anthony LoCoco, of Waukesha, has worked for the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and the Institute for Reforming Government. He is...

Milwaukee Alderman Voices Frustration at ‘Crumbling’ Roads, Massive Cost Estimate

The Common Council’s Finance and Personnel Committee heard from City Engineer Kevin Muhs today "about a newly released report from the Department of Public...

Oconomowoc Rotary Club Apologizes, Reverses Course After July 4 Parade Mess

The Oconomowoc Rotary Club has apologized for the mess surrounding its July 4 parade and will now allow political parties and elected representatives to...
Killed by Milwaukee Reckless Drivers Milwaukee Reckless Drivers Kill Box In Milwaukee Police

Milwaukee Police Officer Shot by Armed Suspect in Foot Chase, Department Says

Two ghost guns were recovered. A Milwaukee police officer was shot by an armed suspect who refused to drop his gun during a foot chase...

Milwaukee Police Association Raises Alarm on Low District 7 Staffing

The Milwaukee Police Association is raising the alarm about severely low staffing levels in District 7, one of the city's busiest police districts. The MPA,...
uw-madison Administrators at UW Schools

UW Employs 495 Foreign Nationals at Almost $43 Million a Year, But Won’t Release Their Names

With salaries ranging as high as $320,000 a year, are the foreign nationals getting taxpayer-funded jobs at UW instead of qualified U.S. citizens? The...
Governor’s Veto Powers Wisconsin Republicans Parental Bill of Rights Outlaw Child Sex Dolls Embrace Them Both Unemployment Reforms Wisconsin’s Professional Licensing Bail Reform Amendment wisconsin covid-19

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.

hannah dugan

Milwaukee Police Refuse to Release NEW Hannah Dugan Body Cam Video, Citing Crime ‘Prevention,’ in Part

The Milwaukee Police Department has refused to release a new Hannah Dugan police body cam video, citing, in part, crime "prevention" and "detection" and...