Family of officer involved shooting victim fights for change

Family works for change in the way officer involved shootings are handled

KENOSHA (WITI) -- The family of 21-year-old Michael Bell Jr., who was shot and killed by Kenosha police, is fighting for a change in the way officer involved shootings are investigated.

Bell Jr. was unarmed when he was killed in his driveway after a traffic stop in 2004. His father, Michael Bell Sr., took out a large ad in 25 daily newspapers around Wisconsin on Friday, May 31st.

"I wanted to make sure that everybody in the state of Wisconsin seen the abuses that are occurring down here with law enforcement," said Bell Sr.

The ads ask readers to join Bell's cause and request a federal investigation into his son's case. Bell Sr. would also like to see a third party group created to independently investigate every officer involved shooting.

"It just didn't seem right. You don't investigate yourselves and clear yourselves of any wrong doing. It needs to be external," says Bell Sr.

The state never filed charges against the officers involved in the shooting. FOX6 News reached out to the Kenosha Police Chief for comment about the advertisements, but were told he was unavailable.

"The system needs to be changed and the legislatures in Madison have to get off their butt and make a change here for the better of everybody here in the state of Wisconsin," insists Bell Sr.

Next week Bell Sr. will release additional ads to run on radio and television.