Elijah Wilks, a 26-year-old man, was fatally shot by an off-duty Milwaukee officer following a traffic incident which was captured on dashcam video showing Wilks pointing a firearm at the officer. The family of Elijah Wilks, which included his sister Elayjah Wilks and his aunt Andrea Ward, held a press conference where they said that the off-duty officer acted justifiably under the circumstances, citing the video evidence that shows Wilks striking the officer with a gun and pointing it at him before being shot. The officer, who was a 41-year-old veteran of the Milwaukee Police Department, was involved in a minor vehicle incident on West Mill Road in the city’s northwest side around 8:30 a.m.
The dashcam footage from the officer’s vehicle shows a construction zone where drivers were forced to merge, with Wilks seen moving into the left lane and cutting off the officer. B’Ivory Lamarr, the family’s attorney, said during a news conference that the two exchanged words before the officer’s vehicle struck Wilks’ car. Both men then pulled over, got out, and continued to argue, however, their words were inaudible in the video. Lamarr noted that the video shows Wilks pointing to the officer’s car, apparently accusing him of causing damage. He said Wilks then pulled out a firearm and struck the off-duty officer with it, an act also captured on camera.