Rev. Jackson in Milwaukee marches with Hamilton family, meets with Mayor Barrett

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Rev. Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition were in Milwaukee on Friday, January 2nd to show their support for the family of Dontre Hamilton.

31-year-old Hamilton was shot and killed by former Milwaukee Police Officer Christopher Manney on April 30th. Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm announced Manney will not face criminal charges in connection with Hamilton’s death.

Jackson held a brief news conference in front of the Federal Courthouse on Friday afternoon. He called for a federal investigation of the police department for possible discriminatory practices. He also lamented a racial gap in Milwaukee's student achievement, incarceration rates, housing and unemployment.

Jackson and Hamilton's brother, Nate, say the protests in Milwaukee will continue until they believe police are held accountable for unjustified uses of force.

"If you assume the worst scenario, that he was challenged, the police, if you're trying to deter him from being challenged, you shoot him once, maybe twice. To shoot someone 14 times is immoral, illegal and mentally sick. We all deserve better," said Rev. Jackson.

"We have so many people still sleeping; we have to wake them up. We have to show them by leading the way. We are the leaders of the new civil rights movement," said Nate Hamilton.

Jackson then led a march with the Hamilton family back to Red Arrow Park.

Earlier on Friday, Rev. Jackson met with U.S. Attorney James Santelle and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Those meetings were described as private. Jackson, along with the attorneys for the Hamilton family, praised the decision to open a federal civil rights investigation into the incident that led to Hamilton's death. They also renewed their call for federal authorities to open a patterns and practices investigation into the Milwaukee Police Department -- referencing the cases of Derek Williams and Frank Jude.

Related stories: