Milwaukee man says police responsible for car crashing into his house

Dave Miller unlocks his front door with a drill now, to retrieve what little remains of his possessions.

“Now it’s uninhabitable," Miller said. I’ve got headaches. I can’t sleep at night. I’m just terrible.”

Miller says the crash is a result of Milwaukee's policy to chase criminals, a policy enacting in September 2017. 

The car police chased blew out Miller's foundation, and caused a fire that burned most of his belongings.

“Once the guy is going 10 or 20 over the speed limit or something, and they’re not shooting at him, let him go," Miller said. "You know otherwise other people are going to get hurt.”

A recent report found 38 Milwaukee police chases ended in third party injury last year. They also injured 20 officers and lead to the death of officer Charles Irvine Jr.

“You don’t want to have any numbers like that,” Alderman Tony Zielinski said,

But, Zielinski says he stands by the common council’s decision to press former chief Ed Flynn to reinstate chases in an effort to cut down on crime.

“What’s the alternative?" Zielinski asked. "Just let drug dealers roam the city in mobile drug units and the police can’t do anything? Let people drive recklessly? How many people have died in the city as a result of reckless driving?”

Zielinski says it will take time to reverse the mindset that people can escape police by driving away.

Miller’s family set up a go fund me for Dave, who was retired, and now has few options because he didn’t have insurance.

“It would mean a lot to our family if people could help out in whatever way they can to help out Dave,” sister Christine Swanson said.

You can find the go fund me to rebuild the house here.