Family of man killed in shooting say off-duty police officer’s actions justified

The family of 26-year-old Elijah Wilks said Thursday they believe the off-duty Milwaukee police officer who fatally shot him acted justified after a traffic accident last week, citing video that showed Wilks gunning down the officer and pointing the gun at him before he was shot.

The 41-year-old off-duty officer, a 21-year veteran of the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), was involved in a minor vehicle crash on West Mill Road on the city’s northwest side around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, police said.

Dashcam video from the officer’s vehicle showed a construction zone where drivers were forced to merge. Wilks was seen crossing into the left lane and blocking the officer’s path.

The two exchanged words before the officer’s vehicle crashed into Wilks’ car, B’Ivory Lamarr, the family’s attorney, said at a news conference Monday. Both men then pulled over, got out and continued arguing, but their words could not be heard on the video.

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The video shows Wilks pointing at the officer’s car and apparently accusing him of causing damage. Lamarr said Wilks then pulled out a firearm and hit the off-duty officer with it, an action that was captured on camera.

“The video that my mother and I watched today shows him slapping the off-duty officer with a firearm,” Lamarr said. “This indicates Elijah pointed the firearm at the off-duty officer. We believe the off-duty officer responded in accordance with his training and fired several shots.”

The video then shows Wilks reappearing on the other side of his vehicle as the officer opened additional fire, striking him multiple times. Wilks died at the scene.

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Milwaukee police have released footage of a shooting involving an off-duty officer on Oct. 9. (Milwaukee Police Department)

Family members and Lamarr expressed concern that the officer did not administer first aid after the shooting, although they said they believed the officer’s actions were justified.

“I want to address what we saw now in this moment,” Lamarr said at a news conference. “And again, this is something that happens a lot of the time, I don’t think I’ve ever come in and done a press conference like this before, but we will acknowledge that we believe this officer-involved shooting was justified.”

He added that although the attack was “unfortunate and tragic,” the family “stands before you today accepting the officer’s actions.”

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Milwaukee police have released footage of a shooting involving an off-duty officer on Oct. 9. (Milwaukee Police Department)

The family and their attorney reviewed the footage the day after the shooting and said Monday they believe their loved one made a tragic mistake.

“He was a good person…everyone loved my brother,” his sister, Elayjah Wilks, said.

His aunt, Andrea Ward, said the incident could happen to anyone and said, “We are one seat away from making the wrong decision.”

Another aunt, Latrice Bell, said: “He made a decision he shouldn’t have made, and it’s just something we have to live with. I don’t believe Elijah knew he was a police officer, but whether he did or not, the encounter should have been different.”

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Under MPD policy, next of kin must be allowed to view the video within 48 hours of a fatal incident and relevant footage must be made public within 15 days.

In this case, the ministry released the video well before the deadline.

Lamarr said the family’s decision to acknowledge the officer’s actions was not easy but reflects their desire for accountability, transparency and healing in a city still grappling with the toll of violence.

MPD did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.