The Milwaukee Police Administration Building downtown. (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner)

The Oak Creek Police Department is handling the investigation of a man shot in Milwaukee this week after a Milwaukee police officer was wounded by gunfire. 

The exchange of shots Wednesday morning took place as a thick blanket of snow fell on the city. According to a Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) press release, officers responded at about 11:50 a.m. to reports of a man firing a large weapon near north 27th Street and Wisconsin Avenue. When officers arrived, the man didn’t drop his gun and fired at officers, police said. 

One officer was wounded by gunfire and was taken to a hospital for surgery. The wounded officer is a 34-years-old man, and has eight years on the job. Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said the officer was wearing a protective vest when he was shot.

Another officer shot and killed the man carrying the gun. That officer is 37 years old and also had eight years of experience with MPD. That officer was placed on administrative leave, a routine procedure after police shootings. 

The man with the gun has been depicted carrying an AR-15 style rifle in photographs circulating online. Wisconsin is an open carry state. 

The man was identified as Isaiah Walker Stott and was an ex-Marine with no criminal history, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 

Oak Creek police are investigating the shooting as part of the Milwaukee Area Investigative Team (MAIT). An MPD press release said that video of the shooting will be released within 15 days to the public, as required by its Standard Operating Procedure 575. 

During a press conference, Norman described the man’s rifle as semi-automatic and denounced its use on a city street.

Norman said that the winter storm presents challenges for police and that officers reacted quickly to the situation. People and cars on the street “could have been harmed by this particular individual,” said Norman. “This is not acceptable. This type of action, this type of behavior, must stop.”

Mayor Cavalier Johnson expressed gratitude for the service of police  and said his thoughts are with the wounded officer, his family and the police department, but that he didn’t want to draw conclusions about the incident itself. 

Milwaukee County District Attorney Kent Lovern — who had been at a Milwaukee Press Club luncheon about 25 blocks from the scene — joined the police department press conference at the scene of the shooting. Lovern also expressed concern and gratitude for the officer and for  people in the community who have helped provide information. 

Representatives from the Milwaukee Police Association called the incident “a stark reminder” of what officers face and asked for prayers from the community.