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Family of Man Shot to Death by a Wauwatosa Police Officer Still Seeking Answers

Michelle Maternowski
More than three months after Jay Anderson was shot to death by a Wauwatosa police officer his family is still seeking answers.

Across the country, people are outraged over the death of black men at the hands of police officers. In Milwaukee, a couple cases have gotten a lot of coverage. Two years ago, when an officer shot and killed Dontre Hamilton in Red Arrow Park downtown, and in August, when a policeman fatally shot Sylville Smith in the Sherman Park neighborhood. However, another local case has not received the same level of attention. 

On June 23, a Wauwatosa officer shot and killed Jay Anderson, a 25-year-old black man. Police say the officer saw a suspicious vehicle in Madison Park, spotted a gun inside and feared for his safety. The family says that’s far from the full story.

Linda and Jay Anderson Sr. say the one thing they want everyone to know about their son is that he was good person.

“Jay Anderson Jr. was a kind hearted person. He was brought up with love, honesty. He was just a good kid all the way around,” Anderson says.

Credit Michelle Maternowski
Jay Anderson's parents, Linda and Jay Anderson Sr.

The Anderson family took part in a community conversation about the death of their son on Wednesday night at the Wauwatosa Public Library. The family says that on the night of June 23, Jay Anderson Jr. went out with friends to celebrate his upcoming birthday. He drank too much, but still decided to try to drive home. The family says he may have realized he shouldn’t be behind the wheel and stopped at Madison Park in Wauwatosa to sleep it off.

“All kids make mistakes and do some things that they shouldn’t. But, he just did not deserve to die the way he did. My son was a good young man. Like any other young man, he made some wrong choices. And the way that I saw my son in that video die was just wasn’t called for. He shouldn’t be dead. If he was in the park after dark he should have been a ticketed in jail, he shouldn’t be dead,” Anderson says.

Credit Michelle Maternowski
Jay Anderson's fiancée, Star Delarosa.

Police haven’t released much information about what happened, but what we do know is that an officer reported seeing a suspicious vehicle in the park. The family says the officer called for backup just before 3:00 am saying there was someone in the car with a gun. They say eight minutes later, the officer radioed in that he had shot the person. Mike Kemet is a close family friend, and he says it doesn’t make sense to him.

“No one came. What is going on in Wauwatosa that you leave a man out there with someone…he gives the description, black male, dreads, inebriated, sleep, knocked out? We have no answer as to what happened in those eight minutes where nothing happened. And then he radios in that he shot the individual and they ask him do you need back up? Reason with me for a moment here, reason with me…do you need backup? Do you want us to send West Allis? Do you want us to send Milwaukee? We have a problem and you have a problem in Wauwatosa. The police department has some questions to answer,” Kemet says. 

According to the family, the officer says he tapped on the window to try to wake Anderson. They say he was shot four times in the head and once in the shoulder blade. Family members allege the officer did not start the body camera until after the shooting, but by design, it recorded the previous 20 seconds. The FBI is working to enhance the footage.

The family says the officer noted that Jay Anderson was inebriated and couldn’t really follow commands.

Kemet says the family continues grieving. “You guys don’t see the crying. This is deep. I mean I was angry today, the divide that it brings to the family. The hurt. So I would hope that we could kind of combine on that and come together and work together.  They need your help. We need your help, we do. We need your help for answers,” he says.

The Milwaukee Police Department took the lead on the investigation into the shooting and turned over its finding to the Milwaukee County District Attorney in July.

The DA’s office has yet to announce whether it will charge the officer or whether the actions were justified.

LaToya was a reporter with WUWM from 2006 to 2021.
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