State and local investigators reviewing fatal officer-involved shooting at Red Arrow Park

MILWAUKEE -- State and local investigators are reviewing an officer-involved shooting at Red Arrow Park in downtown Milwaukee.

Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn says his department received a call about trouble with a subject Wednesday around 3:30 p.m. A police officer on foot patrol responded to the call, and found a man, who may have been homeless, laying on the ground. According to Flynn, the police officer helped the man off of the ground.

As the police officer was patting the man down, Chief Flynn says a struggle began between the officer and man, and the officer began hitting the man with his baton.

\"It is our understanding, he began to use it to defend himself,\" said Chief Flynn.

During the fight, the man took the baton from the officer. The man hit the officer in the head a few times with the baton, and this is when the police officer shot and killed the homeless man.

The park is surrounded by several downtown buildings and businesses, and witnesses told CBS 58 they heard at least 5 gunshots fired during the confrontation.

\"I would say certainly I think 10 sounds more like it, but I didn't count the shell casings,\" said Chief Flynn.

Chief Flynn says the officer injured in this incident is a 13 year veteran of the Milwaukee Police Department.

The 38-year-old officer was taken to Froedtert Hospital where he was treated for his injuries and released.

This is the first officer-involved shooting a Milwaukee police officer was involved in since state lawmakers passed a law requiring independent investigations of officer-involved shootings by an outside agency.

The Milwaukee Police Department says the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation and Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office are also investigating the shooting.