michael bell obituary kenosha
The officer said Belltook his gun. Wisconsin eviction process: What happens to a tenants property? Born in Chicago, IL on September 30, 1988, at St Lukes Hospital. he father of a man police fatally shot outside his Kenosha home in 2004 filed a lawsuit this week against the city seeking access to the bullet that killed his son. Mar 22, 2022. hide caption. And the decade-old death has led to real reform in the state. The Kenosha police officer who was the subject of a $1.75 million wrongful death settlement is running for sheriff as an office of the Wisconsin Supreme Court considers the conduct of thecounty district attorney. The brief includes an affidavit from a forensic DNA expert who also contradicted Graveleys assertion about the likelihood of recovering DNA evidence from the gun. Bell Jr. was resisting arrest at the time and police said he was trying to grab an officer's gun. Im not running on my past. Richard A. Mazzetta, 77, of Kenosha, passed away peacefully, Friday, April 7, 2023 at his residence. So far, however, the administration of Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian has ignored Bells claim and not responded to inquiries about it from the Wisconsin Examiner. Bell charges that the official account of how his son died has distorted key details to justify the shooting and avoid accountability for the police department, the officers involved and the city. The document appears to indicate that Morrissey completed the 40 courses for his degree over a 16-month period a pace that both Beckman and Bell found unbelievable. He has created a website and Facebook page and commissioned a, that is posted on YouTube, highlighting elements of that official account that, Beckman, the retired detective working with Bell, disputes Graveleys claim about the so-called touch DNA. In 2021, Beckman, with the state Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR). Nevertheless, in an email message that Bell sent June 30 to dozens of Kenosha-area elected officials, Bell stated, I strongly believe, based on the findings of Allen Ezells report, that former Chief of Police John Morrissey fraudulently obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice.. Theyre again going to find theres no merit.. He says he knew the police had not even talked to the witnesses or gotten the report back from the crime lab. Daniel Gaitan. They gave statements that Gonzalez was on the younger Bells right side, not his left side as the police account has claimed, and that Strausbaugh was immediately behind Gonzalez. documentary video says the pattern of the blood also supports the conclusion that his son was shot on the right side rather than the left. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. At this point, Bell was up against the hood of a car parked in the driveway. Forensic evidence contradicts police claims of events. in September 2021 demanding the bullet. Noting that Morrissey worked full time as a Kenosha Police shift sergeant and had a family, Ezell calls that pace impossible.. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Kenosha police arrest man after mother interrupts attempted attack on teen in home, One of the top U.S. Netflix shows right now has a Wisconsin connection, UPDATED WITH VIDEO: Suspect wanted in attempt to run over officer with vehicle in Illinois arrested after crashing, then climbing 40 feet up tree in Pleasant Prairie, Community Library Board meeting draws crowd of supporters, critics, City of Kenosha approves Independence Day festivities; thousands expected to turn out, Kenosha man charged after allegedly entering stranger's home and assaulting girl Sunday morning, Van crashes through former Kenosha Bed Bath & Beyond store; no injuries, according to police, Kenosha Police identify early Sunday homicide victim; investigation continues, Bristol man accused of child enticement, assault and possessing child pornography, Morgan Wallen fans upset about abrupt concert cancellation. It's a story of how through faith and resilience, he and his family overcame persecution, threats, and media attacks.". Graveley sent a letter to Bell Sr. in September 2017 declining. Keep updated on the latest news and information. The trim initially underwent testing by the state crime lab, which could not conclusively say what had caused the indentation without the actual projectile involved in the shooting to compare it to. According to the suit, some of the circumstances surrounding his sons death have not been resolved, including the physical positions of the officers and Michael at the moment of the shooting.. The next month, he took out a national newspaper ad to put additional pressure on the governor and the attorney general. In 2019, Racine County Circuit Judge Timothy Boyle rejected Bells petition. She was born on September 30, 1958 to Amy P. Pfalzgraf and Walter Fincke in Fond du Lac, WI. Bell vowed to continue running newspaper ads about the incident and nationwide commercials demanding answers. The daughter of the late Edward and Virginia [], John Hazelhurst Kambs, age 75, of Twin Lakes, WI, died on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at Aurora Medical Center Burlington. He was born on January 6, 1949, in Kenosha, [], Charles Adair Fox, 72 years old, a lifelong Kenosha resident passed away Wednesday April 12, 2023, at his home. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Bells father, Michael Bell Sr., a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, has never accepted the Kenosha Police Departments version of events and has continued battling for accountability ever since. If you know this officer, if you've worked with him before, can you really be objective in terms of evaluating that shooting? None of those institutions or agencies have directly addressed the core issue Bell raises: that a key discrepancy between police and eyewitness accounts on the night his son died calls into question whether the fatal shooting was justified. In 2020, the United States and several other nations prepared to airlift citizens out of the Chinese city at the center of a virus outbreak that had killed more than 100 people. In the last year, that campaign has escalated culminating with public allegations that Bell has directed at the Kenosha city administrator, a former Kenosha police chief. We think (Kerkman) was right.. He was born December 12, 1922, in Kenosha, the son [], Duane Michael Wallace, age 75, passed away on Monday, April 24, 2023 at Aurora Medical Center Kenosha. "Im alarmed by it, I do think many of the good people of Kenosha County will see through it, and its not going to be an issue," Bell Sr. said. On November 9, 2004, a Kenosha police officer shot Michael Bell in the head one day before Michael was to testify at a court hearing regarding a previous incident with the same officer who stopped him this last fatal time. It wasn't until later that we realized just how little of an investigation had been done. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The police used unlawful and excessive force against Bell, both tasing and choking him. Bell and his family filed a federal civil suit in 2005 against the officers involved. Bell timed the ads to run when the eyes of much of the world were on Kenosha because of the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot and killed two people and wounded a third in August 2020 during the unrest that followed the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Sylvia was born on March 15, 1958 in Texas, [], Marilyn Anter Cardello, 83 of Pleasant Prairie, WI, passed away on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at Aurora Medical Center in Kenosha, WI. Ten years ago: Victoria Azarenka routed three-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 to win the Australian Open. In the mass email message that Bell sent on June 30 and in an interview, Bell said he believes Morrissey was involved in blocking the release of the bullet. "Because if you actually did do everything right, why wouldn't you want a transparent investigation that clears you and that shows everybody why you did the right thing?" In 2004, Michael Bell Sr.'s 21-year-old son was shot and killed by a Kenosha officer during a. Because of the discrepancy with the original reports, he told council members, This council can no longer accept the Kenosha Police Departments version of events, as the evidence does not support it., Bell addressed Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian and John Morrissey, the city administrator: I have offered you financial indemnification to the city if you release the bullet You must do the right thing and release the bullet for outside expert analysis by June 1.. He was born September 16, 1936, in Reedsburg, WI, the [], Vera Verda Meinhardt, age 102, formerly of Marshfield and Greenwood, passed away at The Legacy at St. Josephs in Kenosha on April 22, 2023. Surviving are his wife, Gerry; children,. Bell was back in front of the city council in July with another citizen comment this time directed at the city administrator, John Morrissey. The campaigning went on for years, but Barton says the message really gained momentum after another police incident in 2011, where a 22-year-old man died in the backseat of a police car. City Attorney Ed Antaramian on Friday said he could not comment at length on the matter. Born in Waldesch, Germany on June 24, 1928, she was the daughter of [], Lola P. Fuerstenberg, age 92, passed away on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at Aurora Medical Center Kenosha. I would like to see a proper investigation conducted, Bell said in one of several interviews with the Wisconsin Examiner over the last two years about the case. Bell's son was shot and killed by police in Kenosha, Wis. Along with a retired Kenosha police detective named Russell Beckman, Bell Sr. has continued searching for an avenue to hold Gonzalesaccountable. In 2019, Bell found a dent in siding flashing on the garage. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Born on []. He was the son of the late Oswald and Marie (Betthauser) Arzt. Within 48 hours, the department had determined that the shooting was justified, that the use of force was proper and that none of the officers had done anything wrong. Dash cam footage from inside the squad car shows Bell exiting the vehicle he was driving, where he was confronted by the officer. Bell offers another detail to support his contention that his son never touched Strausbaughs gun: In a 2005 State Crime Lab report on the shooting, investigators stated they found no evidence of the younger Bells DNA on the weapon. Born in Johnstown, PA on January 4, 1984, he was the son of the late [], Gregory Paul Roark, age 38, of Kenosha, passed away on April 12th, 2023. Photo courtesy of the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department. In a letter to Bell, the prosecutor asserted the lack of DNA on the gun proved nothing, and that in brief contact with a firearm or holster, you would almost never see a positive test result for the presence of that persons DNA. He also stated that DNA analysts at the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) State Crime Lab had told him that there would be no expectation of DNA results under the facts and circumstances described in your sons death.. Duane M. Wallace ( 1947 - 2023 ) Duane Michael Wallace, age 75, passed away on Monday, April 24, 2023 at Aurora Medical Center Kenosha. "And another officer thought that Mike Bell was trying to disarm his partner," Barton says. "But as far as I can tell, it was a miscommunication and a misunderstanding that lead to [Bell's] death.". So in 2010, Bell launched his own investigation. That computer-generated document lists the same courses and grades as the version that is in Morrisseys personnel file, but does not indicate when the courses were taken. That wrongful death lawsuit was later settled out of court, and the Bells were awarded $1.75 million. Parkside, 75, passed unexpectedly on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. I could not get anybody in the state of Wisconsin to listen, Bell said in a recent interview. The Kenosha police officer who shot and killed Michael Bell Jr. in 2004 is running in next year's election for Kenosha County sheriff . All rights reserved. Evers lawyer subsequently told Bell that the, She helped create The Big Lie. Kenosha.com has partnered with local funeral homes to provide up to date and comprehensive obituary listings at no cost to families. Records suggest she turned it, Misogyny is fueling the countrys gun violence epidemic,, Voting: registration, locations, absentee ballots. Numerous armed officers were present when they pinned an unarmed Michael against a vehicle in his driveway and fatally shot him in the head. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Im planning on running those not only regionally but also on some high-profile events.. On November 9, 2004, a Kenosha police officer shot Michael Bell in the head one day before Michael was to testify at a court hearing regarding a previous incident with the same officer who stopped him this last fatal time. Months later, at the city councils May 2 meeting, Bell spoke during the citizen comments about the fifth officer. "So if you know this officer, if you've worked with him before, can you really be objective in terms of evaluating that shooting? Under his scenario that night, it is still possible that the shooting was the result of a misunderstanding, Bell said. A third officer, Lt. David Krueger, arrived and also used a taser on Bell, then grabbed him from behind in a bear hug. While the report views the details of Morrisseys degree and transcript with skepticism, it doesnt offer any hypotheses for how such a record could be falsified. Morrissey had Kaplan, now part of Purdue University, send Ezell an official transcript. Bell and Beckman had obtained the contents of Morrisseys personnel file with the city from an open records request, but details in a copy of his college transcript that was part of the file raised questions, Bell says. But the other officers who were on the scene were in a position to understand that Strausbaugh was mistaken, Bell and Beckman believe. DEIJ Policy | Ethics Policy | Privacy Policy, According to the police departments official account. This past April, Wisconsin Gov. Bell Sr. said Gonzales' decision to run for sheriff doesn't seem rational. He was a TV news anchor. Strausbaugh shouted several times that Bell had his gun. He was born on September 16th, 1984, in Waukegan, IL, to Paul and Connie (Hayes) Roark. 2023 www.jsonline.com. The location of entrance and exit wounds on Michaels body contradicts the police statements. Bell's father, Michael Bell Sr., hired his own investigators, who discovered considerable inconsistencies with the police account. Im running, clearly, on the future. Private Services were held. That wrongful death lawsuit was later settled out of court and they were awarded $1.75 million. Community members collaborate to repaint Nifty Thrifty Resale Shop, Mattel introduces first Barbie doll representing a person with Down syndrome. Later in May, Bell took out national newspaper ads again, this time accusing the police department of having concealed the presence of the fifth officer as a witness, and asserting that the same officer also collected evidence at the scene despite having been a witness. His son, Michael Bell Jr., was shot and killed by Kenosha Police in 2004. Both DOJ and OLR have asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit.