Security guard killed Milwaukee man over stolen snacks: complaint
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man is charged with first-degree intentional homicide for an Aug. 16 gas station shooting on the city's north side. Prosecutors say it's not his first run-in with the law.
Court filings state 56-year-old William Pinkin was working as a security guard and killed a man who too snacks without paying for them.
In 1990, authorities said Pinkin was convicted of first-degree reckless homicide. He was released in 2018 but went back to prison in 2019. Officials confirm he was released in March of this year.
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Police were called to the gas station near Teutonia and Roosevelt around 6:15 a.m. The victim, 29-year-old Isaiah Allen, was pronounced dead at the scene. He had been shot in the head, a criminal complaint states.
The complaint states Allen grabbed a box of Little Debbie snack cakes and left without paying, and a security guard – later identified as Pinkin – got up from the back of the store, walked toward Allen and pulled out a gun.
Fatal shooting near Teutonia and Roosevelt, Milwaukee
Pinkin then rushed toward Allen, per the complaint, and got a little more than an arm's length from him before shooting Allen in the back of the head. Allen dropped to the ground, and surveillance showed Pinkin go back inside the store.
According to the complaint, Pinkin was at the scene when police arrived and told responding officers – who were unaware of the surveillance video at the time – that he did not see the shooting. That surveillance video showed Pinkin was "milling around calmly" and at one point smoking a cigarette after the shooting.
Police said the 56-year-old surrendered on Friday, Aug. 18.
Allen's family asks ‘Why?’
The afternoon following the shooting, family spoke to FOX6 News about what happened.
"Why?" said Troy Allen, Isaiah's father. "That’s it. Just, why?"
Natalie Easter, Isaiah's mother, said her son suffered from mental health issues. She said before the shooting, he stole something.
Isaiah Allen
"A gun shouldn’t come into play, especially over something so meaningless," she said. "Over 25-cent cakes. Are you for real?"
The 29-year-old was preparing to move to Louisville to receive support for his mental health, family said.
"I was like, what?" his father said. "I was just there last night to bring him his clothes, so he can leave."
Security regulations questioned
In a statement, Milwaukee Ald. Andrea Pratt said she wants more regulation for security guards in the city – seeling to create new legislation requiring city security guards to be licensed and bonded.
"There's a lot of cash under the table in this business," said Curt Bennett, the owner of Advanced Private Police in South Milwaukee.
Bennett said state law already requires licensing and insurance, and the problem is a lack of enforcement of that law from the state.
"I've brought it up to anyone I could at the state, and I've spun my wheels," he said.
Bennett was part of last year's push for a state bill sponsored by State Rep. Jesse Rodriguez (R-Oak Creek) to increase enforcement and training for security guards. However, the bill did not pass.
Bennett said there are many unlicensed people working security jobs: "They don't know the law; they don't know procedure. They certainly don't know de-escalation."