28-year-old Milwaukee man charged in shooting death of Deshun Freeman

Octavia Dodson



MILWAUKEE -- A 28-year-old Milwaukee man has been charged in connection with the shooting death of Deshun Freeman, which occurred Friday, March 25th on the city's north side.

The accused is Octavia Dodson, who is facing one count of second degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon.

According to the criminal complaint, police were called out to the area of 10th and Concordia just before 11:00 p.m. to investigate a shooting complaint. Several 911 callers reported hearing gunshots and seeing a man lying in the street.

One of the callers identified himself as "Octavia Dodson" and stated that a male subject had "pulled a gun" on him. He stated that he then shot the male subject and left the scene. Dodson stated that he was armed and would turn himself in to the police.

When police arrived on scene they observed a man, later identified as Deshun Freeman, lying face down in the street. The officers observed that the victim had been shot in the head.

Freeman was pronounced dead at the scene.  No firearm, ammunition, or holster was recovered from the victim, according to the criminal complaint.

During interviews with police, Dodson stated that he shot at Freeman after a minor car accident. Dodson told police he was rear-ended while stopped at a red light at the intersection of Teutonia and Center. He claims the striking vehicle then left the scene.

According to the criminal complaint, "(Dodson) first stated that he decided to head to his father’s house (after the accident) because he thought his car may have been damaged, but later confessed to the officers that he took off after the striking vehicle to try to get a plate number."

Dodson told police he was searching for the striking vehicle on W. Concordia Avenue, just past 11th Street, when a car came up from behind at a high rate of speed. Dodson states that this car then pulled over and stopped on the south side of the street. Dodson told police that he stopped as well -- because he recognized that this was the car that had rear-ended him on Teutonia.

Dodson told police that a male subject then exited the car in front of him and ran toward him. Dodson states that he discharged his firearm because he thought the subject was "pulling something out."

According to the complaint, "(Dodson) initially stated that he discharged his firearm at the male subject from his automobile, and that he never at any point got out of his car. The defendant later confessed that he exited the Mercury and shot the victim from a standing position outside of his car."

Dodson told police that after he opened fire, he observed the man, later identified as Freeman, fall to the ground. Dodson stated that he then got back into his car and left the scene before calling 911 to report the shooting.

The criminal complaint filed against Dodson states that due to the "discrepancies between the defendant’s description of the striking car at the scene of the accident on Teutonia Avenue (e.g., color, tint, no front plate) and the observed details of the victim’s car when it was recovered on 10th Street, the investigation is ongoing into whether Freeman was, in fact, involved in the car accident at all."

According to the medical examiner's report, Freeman suffered three separate gunshot wounds, including one to the right temple.

If convicted, Dodson could face up to 60 years in prison.