Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission denied officer controversial promotion

A Milwaukee Police Officer who was present the night robbery suspect Derek Williams died in the back of a squad car has been denied a promotion to detective.

"I would hope that we could promote people who don't have that kind of record," Democratic Wisconsin Senator Lena Taylor of Milwaukee told the Fire and Police Commission last Thursday.

She was one of several people speaking out during the public comment section of the regularly scheduled meeting.

The FPC then voted to deny the promotion of Officer Zachary Thoms who was also swept up in the scandal involving invasive body searches at District 5.

Although never criminally charged, Office Thoms still has his detractors who were impassioned as they implored the commission to also require that citizen complaints go through the FPC. 

"It is our belief that a person who is victimized by a police officer," began NAACP Milwaukee President Fred Royal, "as the 75 individuals who were cavity searched, should not have to go to the police department. That's victimizing the person twice."

The NAACP Is part of a collaborative to bring in more community concerns when approving future MPD policy.