Milwaukee El Rey shooting, private security a focus
MILWAUKEE - After a deadly shooting at El Rey in Milwaukee Saturday, July 9 involving a man and two security guards, the district attorney is looking at the evidence, and there are questions about how Wisconsin regulates private security.
When police officers use deadly force, you typically see them go on administrative duty until the investigation is complete, but there's no requirement in the state for private security.
"At the bare minimum, we need to look at what happens when someone discharges a firearm in this sort of profession and especially so if there’s a fatal shooting," said Rep. Jonathan Brostoff (D-Milwaukee).
Brostoff is on the Assembly Regulatory Licensing Reform Committee. In Wisconsin, the Department of Safety and Professional Services regulates private security. If a private security worker shoots a gun, DSPS requires the owner or supervisor of the agency to send a report to the state and police, but unlike what you typically see with police, there's no DSPS requirement for security officers who use force to take a leave of absence or desk duty.
"I think this profession of private security in Wisconsin needs to be examined," said Brostoff.
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Police say Luis Lorenzo, 36, shot and killed Marshal Public Safety Security Guard Tony Nolden, 59. It happened Saturday at the El Rey on Cesar Chavez. Police say another security guard shot and killed Lorenzo.
The district attorney's office has not weighed in.
"Nothing bad to say about Tony," said Enoch Wilson, Marshal Public Safety owner/director."He had very high integrity. Very high work ethic. He loved to work every site."
FOX6 followed up with questions about whether his company pulled the guard who shot Lorenzo off active duty. He did not respond to calls, emails or a visit to his office.
Shooting scene outside El Rey on Cesar Chavez Drive
Some private security experts who spoke to us on background, so as to not affect their business, said would be bad judgment to have employees involved in a deadly use of force incident back on their regular job, but that is up to the individual agency and its owner.
"When an instance like this happens, it kind of shines a light on how much work there is to do and how we have to move forward with proactive legislation," said Brostoff.
FOX6 also reached out to several other lawmakers for this story but didn't hear back.