Father of police brutality victim posts billboards on Williams case

MILWAUKEE -- Michael Bell is getting involved with the Derek Williams case by putting up bill boards highlighting the case. Bell has been putting up billboards since 2010 when his son was killed by City of Kenosha police in 2004.

Bell says, "I knew what the family members must've gone through when they saw the last minutes of Derek Williams' life, because I got to see my own son get out of his own car and that was the last time he was ever alive."

Although Williams' death is not a case of deadly force, Bell says there is a connection between Williams and his son. In both cases, police departments investigated themselves and cleared themselves of any wrong-doing.

In Williams' case, newly released dashcam video showed officers ignoring his plea for help. The video is triggering a second investigation.

Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn says, "The existence of the video was known the night of this incident. The video was viewed by a member of the district attorney's office that night. The video and all of the police files were turned over to the DA who did an independent investigation. The film was shown to the family, and their lawyers almost a year ago."

Bell says local agencies would not be allowed to investigate themselves or one another. He wants the state to create an independent board. Bell says ideally, that independent board would consist of three to five retired police chiefs.

As for billboards, five of the mare digital, and already running. He says two vinyl ones will be posted in October.