Father of Michael Bell takes out full-page ad in USA Today



KENOSHA (WITI) -- Support for a Wisconsin bill is about to go national. Michael Bell, who is pushing for the creation of a statewide police review board has taken out a full-page ad in Fridays "USA Today" -- and an estimated four million people are expected to see it.

Bell says he bought space in the weekend edition of USA Today -- and paid for it using money from a settlement with the city of Kenosha.

Police there killed his son in 2004.

The ad also features the faces of Derek Williams, who died in the backseat of a Milwaukee police squad car and Paul Heenan, who was killed last November by Madison police.

"These Wisconsin tragedies are occurring, but they're also occurring nationwide and what I think is occurring in Wisconsin is a reflection of what's occurring nationwide," Bell said.

In September, state Rep. Garey Bies (R - Sister Bay) and Rep. Chris Taylor (D - Madison) announced the creation of a bill that would create a statewide board to review all police-involved deaths.

"We haven't found any on a statewide basis so we'd be making new ground if we put this protocol together," Rep. Bies said.

Under the bill, the attorney general would appoint a five-member review board.

Current Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says he opposes the bill because it puts undue scrutiny on officers making split-second life or death decisions.

"It causes me to take a look at it. I've spoken with him about it and we each have our own opinions on it so we'll see how it progresses," Rep. Bies said.

Rep. Bies says the bill was initially assigned to the Judiciary Committee, but has since been reassigned to the Criminal Justice Committee, where he hopes it will be heard next month.