The sister of 23-year-old career criminal Sylville Smith believes the cop who fatally shot him knew him from high school.
Smith’s death sparked 3 days of rioting and looting in Milwaukee over the weekend.
“This boy knew my brother personally from high school,” Sherelle Smith told WITI-TV news. “They knew each other. You know exactly how my brother was and you shot and killed him,” she said, directly addressing the unidentified officer.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett stood by the officer, who was placed on desk duty while the shooting is under investigation.
Barrett said the officer’s body cam will show Smith brandished a handgun when he was killed.
Both the officer and Smith are black.
Angry residents spurred on by social media antagonists looted businesses and torched cars after the shooting on Saturday.
The violence led Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke to blame “tribal behavior” and “jungle law” for the violence.
Mayor Barrett imposed a 10 p.m. curfew within the city limits on Monday. He issued a stern warning to parents to keep their teenagers at home during the curfew.
Smith had a long criminal history that included shooting another man in 2015 and felony witness intimidation.
