Police department to pay officer $125,000 to resign after threatening to fire him for three justified shootings
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WAUWATOSA, WI – A Wauwatosa, WI, Police Officer was involved in three separate justified shootings, however he was still placed on suspension on July 15th, after members of one of the families complained to the administration.
Rather than having the back of an officer who was cleared in court of any wrongdoing, the agency instead offered him a sizeable amount of money to leave the agency for good, and he accepted.
Former Wauwatosa Police Officer, Joseph Mensah agreed on November 17th to resign from the agency after accepting $125,000 in a severance package. The Police Department and city, despite all three shootings being ruled justified in court, caved to public pressure and asked him to leave the agency.
In speaking of Mensah’s severance with the city, Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride said:
“Now is the time for all of us to come together and heal. We’ve made substantial progress during 2020, and in the coming year we’ll continue to focus on positive change for our community.
“As before, I’m committed to working with the Common Council, the city’s Equity and Inclusion Commission, and members of the public to make that happen.”
Mensah’s last day with the agency, on paper at least, will be November 30th.
State prosecutors had cleared Mensah in each of the three officer involved shootings, including his latest one in February, in which he fatally shot and killed 17-year-old Alvin Cole. In that case, Mensah and other officers responded to the Mayfair Mall for a report of a disturbance inside.
When officers arrived on scene, Cole fled from police after being ordered to stop. According to Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, there was evidence that Cole had a stolen firearm on his person, and that Cole fired a round at Mensah.
Chisholm wrote in his decision not to indict Mensah:
“He [Cole] did not surrender the weapon and was fired upon by Officer Mensah causing his death…There is sufficient evidence that Officer Mensah had an actual subjective belief that deadly force was necessary and that belief was objectively reasonable.”
Chisholm told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an interview that he understood that people would be upset over his decision, but that it did not matter. He did say, that although Mensah was cleared of all three shootings, he was concerned that the five-year officer had been involved in so many during his short career.
Mensah’s first officer involved shooting occurred in 2015 when he confronted a man named Antonio Gonzales, who was carrying a sword. Mensah ordered him several times to drop the sword and he refused, forcing Mensah to fire his weapon several times, striking and killing him. Mensah was cleared of any wrongdoing in that case.
In Mensah’s second shooting in 2016, he approached a parked car where Jay Anderson, Jr. was sleeping. When he made contact with Anderson, Mensah saw a gun that Anderson reached for, causing him to open fire, striking and killing him in the vehicle. Again, Mensah was cleared of any wrongdoing and returned to full duty.
Chisholm told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an interview that he understood that people would be upset over his decision, but that it did not matter. He did say, that although Mensah was cleared of all three shootings, he was concerned that the five-year officer had been involved in so many during his short career.
Mensah’s first officer involved shooting occurred in 2015 when he confronted a man named Antonio Gonzales, who was carrying a sword. Mensah ordered him several times to drop the sword and he refused, forcing Mensah to fire his weapon several times, striking and killing him. Mensah was cleared of any wrongdoing in that case.
In Mensah’s second shooting in 2016, he approached a parked car where Jay Anderson, Jr. was sleeping. When he made contact with Anderson, Mensah saw a gun that Anderson reached for, causing him to open fire, striking and killing him in the vehicle. Again, Mensah was cleared of any wrongdoing and returned to full duty.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Here is some additional information from Urban Milwaukee.
Before District Attorney John Chisholm‘s decision came in, a third-party investigator recommended Mensah be terminated. The report, authored by former U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic, says Mensah made inconsistent and misleading statements to the media and could use deadly force a fourth time. Mensah poses “unnecessary risk to the Wauwatosa Police Department and the City of Wauwatosa,” Biskupic warned.
Officer Joseph Mensah‘s resignation from the Wauwatosa Police Department comes at a price of over $125,000. The officer will receive his full base salary, $79,889, through the end of 2021. He’ll also receive a $15,000 one-time settlement payment, over $10,000 in benefit payouts and almost $20,000 in deferred compensation.
On December 17th Mensah will receive a one-time $15,000 settlement payment. The city will also make a payment of $19,500 to Mensah’s 457(b) deferred compensation plan by November 30th.
The city will deduct the cost of its share of a COBRA health plan for Mensah from the payments made to the officer through the end of 2021. Mensah could elect to continue to pay for the plan on his own in 2022.
The Wauwatosa Police & Fire Commission must also agree to drop
Mensah’s suspension as part of the case. The city must provide a neutral
reference on any future employment inquiries for Mensah. Chief Barry Weber can provide his own recommendation without limitation.
2 comments:
I knew of one officer at Houston PD that had shot 7 people during his career. Cleared on all cases.
I thought the article was a little misleading, stating he was cleared in court when the prosecutor just decided not to bring charges.
It sounds like his shootings were justified.
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