Milwaukee officials react to verdict in Williams inquest

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- City of Milwaukee officials including the mayor are offering their reaction to the verdict in the Derek Williams inquest.

After more than six hours of deliberating, the inquest jury found there was probable cause that three Milwaukee police officers committed the crime of failure to render aid by a law enforcement officer when Williams was struggling to breathe while in police custody. The officers in question are Richard Ticcioni, Jason Bleichwehl and Jeffrey Cline.

Jurors also found there was probable cause that a sickle cell crisis was the cause of death for Williams in July 2011.

FOX6 News spoke with Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn on Thursday evening following the verdict. He said he respects and accepts the inquest jury's recommendation for charges against the officers.

"Obviously would never want anybody to die in custody, and it's an extraordinarily rare event in Milwaukee police history. We're hopeful that as time goes by, people will feel that the process has been responsive and has provided a measure of justice to get everyone involved," Chief Flynn said.

Chief Flynn said the officers involved will be on administrative duty until further notice, and says his department has already made changes.

"We`ve now made it a made if someone has a complaint we will get medical attention immediately instead of waiting until something goes awry. That`s already occurred. We`ve already done a department-wide training on Sickle cell crisis and how to respond. That`s already occurred," Chief Flynn said.

Meanwhile, the Director of the Fire and Police Commission is asking for patience from the community as the special prosecutor makes his decision.

"The police chief, the Fire and Police Commission, and the mayor`s office -- we all supported reopening the investigation and going ahead with the inquest. It's not a quick process, but it's a good process," Mike Tobin said.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said in a statement, "I want to thank Special Prosecutor John Franke for his professionalism while presenting the case and I want to thank the jury panel for their service. As I said last fall, the squad car video of Derek William in the back seat was disturbing, very disturbing. When the medical examiner changed his opinion, I supported and called for an independent investigation as did Milwaukee Police Chief Flynn. Milwaukee Police Department operating procedures were changed so that officers must call for medical assistance when an individual is expressing health complications. The decisions made today by the inquest jury are not final and the legal process will be continuing. As today’s findings are vetted and work their way through the legal process, I ask everyone to remain patient and respectful of the process.”

Willie Hines

Common Council President Willie Hines said in a statement, "After months of an inquest investigation, I was pleased to hear an advisory verdict rendered today in the case that stems from the death in police custody of Derek Williams. The jury determined that there was probable cause to believe a crime had been committed, and that criminal charges should be filed against three of the officers involved in Williams’s death. I am grateful to hear that some strides toward justice are being made in the death of Derek Williams. This verdict marks a significant advancement in an attempt to hold individual police officers accountable for their actions."

Alderwoman Milele Coggs said in a statement, "We have said all along, since the death in police custody of Derek Williams, that the only way to restore the public’s faith that justice will be done is with complete transparency and a thorough vetting of the facts in full view of the public. Having personally observed several days’ worth of testimony in this week-long inquest, I can unequivocally say it has been a worthwhile endeavor. The public is much more aware of the series of events that led up to Derek Williams’s death, and they have seen firsthand as the wheels of justice begin to turn. But this specific case is still far from over, and Derek Williams’s death is only one of a number of cases that constitute a broader federal investigation into the Milwaukee Police Department. It bears repeating that the proceedings of the last week are only the first steps in the march toward justice."

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