UWM armed robbery, Milwaukee police chase; 3 charged
Alante James, James Braemmert, Jamarius Smith-Freeman
MILWAUKEE - An armed robbery outside a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee residence hall led to a police chase on May 12 and criminal charges against three people.
Prosecutors accuse Alante James, James Braemmert and Jamarius Smith-Freeman of multiple felonies in the case. All three were allegedly involved in the pursuit, but only James is charged in connection to the armed robbery.
UWM armed robbery
The armed robbery happened in front of Cambridge Commons around 10 p.m. on May 10. A student told police that someone with a gun took her friend's expensive glasses – estimated at $5,000 – and drove off, according to a criminal complaint.
UWM's Cambridge Commons residence hall
James was identified as a suspect, and the complaint states surveillance video captured him fleeing the scene in a gray Infiniti after the robbery. Surveillance video from inside Cambridge Commons showed James and Braemmert, among other people, entering the residence hall earlier that night.
The complaint states surveillance video also showed Braemmert leaving Cambridge Commons and getting into the Infiniti before James was seen stealing the glasses and running to the waiting vehicle – at one point aiming a gun at someone. The driver was believed to be someone named "Lil Mari."
Police chase
On the afternoon of May 12, police were on patrol when they spotted the gray Infiniti near Sherman and Villard. Officers tried to pull the car over, but the driver took off down an alley. The complaint states the car reached speeds around 90 mph, and the chase ended when the driver lost control and hit another vehicle and a fire hydrant. It lasted less than a mile.
Prosecutors said Smith-Freeman was the driver, and Braemmert and James were passengers. All three got out and ran but were soon taken into custody. Officers found three fully-automatic handguns at the crash scene.
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In court
James is charged with armed robbery, sale/possession/use/transport of a machine gun and misdemeanor resisting/obstructing an officer. Court records show he pleaded not guilty on May 17, and his cash bond was set at $10,000.
Braemmert is charged with sale/possession/use/transport of a machine gun, two counts of felony bail jumping and misdemeanor resisting/obstructing an officer. He pleaded not guilty on May 18, court records show, and his cash bond was set at $65,000.
Smith-Freeman is charged with fleeing police, second-degree recklessly endangering safety, possession of a firearm by a felon, sale/possession/use/transport of a machine gun and misdemeanor resisting/obstructing an officer. He pleaded not guilty and had cash bond set at $25,000 on May 17, court records show.