Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn opens up about showing his emotion in public

Chief Ed Flynn says he surprised himself when he broke down during a recent press conference to announce the arrests of three men in connection with the fatal shooting of Laylah Peterson, 5 years old, last November.

"It's not a conscious act. I was fully prepared to give a just the fact ma'am press conference," Chief Flynn explained in part two of  an exclusive sit down interview with the CBS 58 News at 4 p.m.

"I remember at the time, I'm a  grandpa too. I've got little  grandchildren who have sat on my lap watching TV. And the notion that somebody sitting in your house in that kind of innocent circumstance and you can't protect your child from a mindless fool with a criminal record and a high-capacity firearm, it's horrendous.  And what I didn't know is, it was still right there."

Chief Flynn has not watched the footage and say he probably never will.

Chief Flynn said investigators had been  on track to make arrests for some time. He says the key moments came when the Commander of the Detectives, William Jessup, had the information in the days leading up to the arrests. But that was nearly a year after the horrifying crime.

"We were getting closer and closer and closer. So, when we finally had it. It was the culmination of a great deal of effort. It wasn't a sudden lightning bolt moment. We knew it was coming, It was just, given the nature of a thoughtful criminal investigation, it had to come together gradually and finally did."

While the chief feels satisfaction with closing the case, there is frustration that it took as long as it did for information to come to light.

It was a painstaking effort to verify information that was being said to third parties.

"We had to make sure the stories were plausible so it took a long time. I wish it could have happened sooner."

Prosecutors say the accused were looking for revenge but shot up the wrong house when they fatally shot the girl who was sitting on her grandfather's lap.

"My frustration is with the idiocy of the case. Sadly, it's not a stand along event. The violence in certain segments of this community is appalling. No matter how many arrests we make. No matter how many cases we solve,  it's frustrating that people are acting in such a senseless way."    

The interview is attached to this story.

To watch part one of the interview click here