2023 Milwaukee County Zoo arrests, woman sentenced to probation
Envy Hampton
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee woman charged after an altercation with sheriff's deputies outside the Milwaukee County Zoo pleaded guilty to five misdemeanors and was sentenced to probation on Thursday.
In court
What we know:
Court records show 18-year-old Envy Hampton, who was 17 years old at the time, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of battery and two misdemeanor counts of resisting/obstructing an officer. She was sentenced to one year of probation.
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What's next:
Nayah Dowell-Willis was also charged in the case with two misdemeanors: resisting/obstructing an officer and disorderly conduct. Court records show she is scheduled for a plea hearing later this month.
Milwaukee County Courthouse
Milwaukee County Zoo fight
The backstory:
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office released edited video associated with Hampton's October 2023 arrest, so FOX6 News requested all of it. After watching all the video, it showed the sheriff's office left something out.
Deputies were first called for a fight. Video showed a deputy walk up to a fence at the zoo with four people waiting outside for a ride. One of them, later identified as Hampton, said she would hop the fence.
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Deputy: "If you hop this fence, I’m going to arrest you."
Hampton: "You ain’t going to do (expletive) to me."
The deputy turned around and saw a car had pulled up, driven by Dowell-Willis. She questioned why the deputy needed her name if she was picking up her sister.
The deputy's body camera footage showed the women who were waiting for the ride somehow got into the property and were walking to the car. The deputy told them to hold tight as he tried to explain why he was called and needed to get their information.
Milwaukee County Zoo arrest, FOX6 obtains all sheriff's office video
FOX6 obtained all Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office video associated with the October arrest of a 17-year-old girl at the Milwaukee County Zoo.
Dig deeper:
As he returned to his squad, other deputies showed up. There was then an exhange that was not shown in the edited, originally released video released from the sheriff's office.
Deputy 1: "Alright, let’s get her out."
Deputy 2: "Which one, driver?"
Deputy 1: "Driver"
Deputy 2: "She doesn’t want to listen. Get out of the car, or I’ll break the window."
The deputies asked Dowell-Willis to roll down her window and get out of the car for about a minute.
"This is your last chance. You are now under arrest for obstructing. Cover your eyes," the deputy said before smashing the window.
Dowell-Willis was then pulled out of the car. That's when the rear driver's side door opened, and Hampton got out and shoved another deputy. That deputy took Hampton to the ground as she continued to kick and swing at him – knocking off the body-worn camera.
A nearby squad's dashcam showed a deputy punch Hampton three times, get her on her back and cuff her.
Hampton: "I didn’t punch him in the face."
Deputy: "Yes, you did."
Hampton: "I didn't connect. I didn’t punch him in the face. I swung."
Hampton and Dowell-Willis were then arrested.
The Source: Information in this report is from the Wisconsin Circuit Couty, as well as prior FOX6 News coverage and video obtained by FOX6 News.