Retired Milwaukee Homicide Detective blasts Chief Flynn for firing officer

Retired Homicide Detective Steven Spingola is going public with his concerns about the firing of an officer in connection with the fatal shooting of Dontre Hamilton in Red Arrow Park.

On Wednesday, Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn fired Police Officer Christopher Manney for a pat down that allegedly violated Milwaukee Police Department policy.

Chief Flynn said the pat down would increase the risk of a violent confrontation with Hamilton who was identified as an emotionally disturbed individual.

It was during a struggle with the officer's baton that Manney shot Hamilton 14 times.

On Friday, in his Spingola Files' blog, retired Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) Homicide Lieutenant Steve Spingola asked Chief Flynn several questions, including how Flynn can “sleep at night knowing full well that you have thrown a police officer under the bus for simply doing his job?”

Spingola believes it may be time for Chief Flynn to “pack it in.”

“A police chief is supposed to know what it is like to walk-a-mile in the shoes of a rank-and-file officer,” said Spingola. “As a cop, Chief Flynn has lost his way. Why would Milwaukee police officers now risk their careers to put themselves between armed and dangerous criminals while Ed Flynn is chief of police?”