After hours-long standoff, man who allegedly shot off-duty MPD detective taken into custody

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MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- An hours-long standoff ended Tuesday when a man who allegedly shot an MPD detective in January was taken into custody. Keasean Ellis-Brown had been on the run for more than two months.

Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said officers have been working this case since the shooting happened January 13, when Ellis-Brown tried to rob a woman in a Third Ward Shake Shack. Off-duty detective Andrew Wilkiewicz stepped in and Ellis-Brown shot him.

Police Chief Jeffrey Norman says the department is relieved to have tracked him down.

For four hours Tuesday, dozens of members of the MPD Crisis Negotiation Team and Tactical Enforcement Unit surrounded a home on 9th near Chambers.

At one point a negotiator called out through a megaphone, "Keasean, this is the Milwaukee Police Department. We know you're in there. We want you to come out safely, we don't want anybody to get hurt. Announce yourself, and follow the officers' instructions."

It started at 11:30 a.m. when police got a tip the 19-year-old Ellis-Brown was inside.

Chief Norman said, "We've been receiving many different tips, we don't know the full extent of who all was involved in revealing this particular evidence."

Ellis-Brown refused to come out, and MPD didn't know if he was armed or if anyone else was in the home.

One man who claimed to be Ellis-Brown's grandfather confirmed he was inside, and said, "He was wanted. He was wanted for something. Y'all know what he did. Y'all out here, y'all know what they were looking for him for."


Ellis-Brown finally surrendered at 3:30 p.m., and officers moved in to take him into custody. There were no injuries, and Chief Norman said officers showed patience and restraint. "This could have really had some horrible outcomes, but cool heads prevailed, and the right type of behavior and attitudes was put forth."

Ellis-Brown now faces a host of charges for the January shooting, including attempted first-degree intentional homicide and second-degree recklessly endangering safety.

Chief Norman informed Detective Wilkiewicz his alleged shooter was in custody, and said, "I would hope that he's relieved. I know that we're relieved. Again, this is a serious situation."

We spoke with Detective Wilkiewicz a few weeks after he was released from the hospital, when he said, "The support I've gotten since this incident from everybody's been just overwhelmingly positive. I'm very, very grateful that so many people have reached out."

Chief Norman wasn't sure who provided the tip that led MPD to the house. He also said it was too early to tell if anyone helped Keasean Ellis-Brown stay out of police custody these past two months, or if anyone else could face charges.

Two more teens were charged in connection to the shooting, 18-year-old Dionta’e Hayes and 17-year-old Timonte Karroll-Robinson.

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