We now know that the Brown Deer Police responded to incidents at the home of Radcliffe and Zina Haughton 20 times since the couple moved there.
Although at least seven of the responses were domestic violence calls, the Brown Deer police never made an arrest.
It is especially inconceivable that the Brown Deer police believed they saw Radcliffe Haughton with a gun, closed down the street, set up a perimeter, announced to Haughton that he was under arrest – and then decided to just go away without doing anything.
This was not a situation in which the police made one call to the house and there were a lot of questions about what was going on – only total ineptness can be the reason for so many calls and so little action.
In my opinion, the mishandling of the situation with Radcliffe Haughton put Zina Haughton in danger – as well as other citizens, and any other police officers that might have had an interaction with him. He surely was taught by the Brown Deer police, that he could get away with just about anything – no reason to fear lawful authority, was there?
I think it is obvious that this was a total systemic failure by Brown Deer police and officials that led to the deaths of three innocent women, and the wounding of others.
I believe that if they have any shred of integrity left, Police Chief Steven Rinzel, Police Lieutenant Jonathan Schmitz (who ordered the retreat), Village President Carl Krueger (who doesn't seem to have a clue about domestic violence) and Police Commission President Jim Jiracek (whose commission never evaluated the police chief) – should all resign immediately.
It is shameful that those men have not only not taken responsibility for their many failures, but the Brown Deer police recorded a nearly 14-minute audio statement from Brookfield attorney Lisa Martin, and then posted it on the village website.
In full disclosure, Lisa Martin represented me in a case, and in my opinion it appears that she is representing her dead client as well as she represented me.
Lastly, what happens in Brown Deer does not stay in Brown Deer – three murders and others wounded, due to their lack of proper police protocol. Their ineptness affects all of us and thus we should all be concerned.
Haughton should have been arrested and had his guns confiscated at that time.
I'm not taking sides, because I don't think I'm informed enough. However, it must be noted that you did not mention the information contained in the statement released by Zina Haughton's attorney, which gives many more details that you are apparently unaware of, and which comes out in defense of the police. In that statement there are many details that had not been made public prior, including Zina's own perspective and her appreciation of how the police acted.
As a resident of Brookfield I can't help but feel violated because it happened in my community but then maybe it's more to do with audacity of it all due to someone's lack of self control. The silver lining to this storm cloud is that he killed himself. The tax payers won't have to support his azz for the rest of his useless life in a prison. Keeping him alive would have only added insult to injury. I doubt the public will ever find out what his tox report revealed.
And for there to be a Stand-off, when they thought he had a gun, with the police telling him that he was under arrest and to come out of the house --- and then the police just retreat without any action --- Lisa Martin the attorney, as I mentioned before, in my opinion was inept working for me, and I cannot believe that she has even made any statement that throws doubt upon her now Dead Client. Yes DEAD --- she and two other women, as well as wounded. That is a whole lot of proof that the Brown Deer Police Officials were Very Wrong -- and for the Village President to now try to make excuses for them --- Outrageous!!
Local Law Enforcement is hardly the bottom of the food chain --- they can lock your azz up and hold you for a long time without a phone call --- they are the ones we give the power to, and along with the power goes responsibility. The Guy was a scum bag --- I wish he was sitting in a cell for the rest of his life --- he was a Control Freak, and he took the easy way out for himself, so as not to lose that Control.
I had hoped you would try to engage in critical thinking. Instead, you don't address what the attorney said, but instead ask me a question followed by a number of assertions and appeals to emotion. I don't blame you for not addressing the details of what Zina's attorney has said, if you don't have any logical way of doing so. But if you are going to imply that the police were called to the residence 20 times, then at least be honest and admit that most of the times did not involve a dispute between the couple. Police can't arrest a man for domestic abuse because there are problems with their pets. Again, David, give facts for us to discuss and interact with the information that is given. Personal attacks and appeals to emotion will not suffice. As I said earlier, I don't feel that I have enough information to make a judgment just yet. But one thing I do know is that you have even less information than I do!!
Facts: 20 police calls to residence and at least SEVEN were for domestic per the police Facts: 3 Women Dead Facts: 4 Wounded Facts: Victim of abuse Dead Facts: Attorney Lisa Martin's assertions contradicted in the newspaper --- don't have time to reiterate them, check out MJS Supposition: The Brown Deer Police will surely be sued by the families of the victims Lisa Martin may well be trying to cover her B by getting out ahead of her being sued and or taken to task in the legal system for poor representation of her client --- this is again, my supposition and opinion ---