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The family of 26-year-old Elijah Wilks said Thursday they believe the off-duty Milwaukee officer who fatally shot him acted justifiably after a traffic encounter last week, citing video that shows Wilks striking the officer with a gun and pointing it at him before being shot.
Police said the 41-year-old off-duty officer, a 21-year veteran of the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), was involved in a minor vehicle incident around 8:30 a.m. Thursday on West Mill Road on the city’s northwest side.
Dashcam video from the officer’s vehicle showed a construction zone where drivers were forced to merge. Wilks was seen moving into the left lane and cutting off the officer.
B’Ivory Lamarr, the family’s attorney, said during a news conference Monday that the two exchanged words before the officer’s vehicle struck Wilks’ car. Both men then pulled over, got out, and continued to argue, though their words were inaudible in the video.
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Video shows Wilks pointing to the officer’s car, apparently accusing him of causing damage. Lamarr said Wilks then pulled out a firearm and struck the off-duty officer with it, an act also captured on camera.
“The video in which myself and his mother watched today is that he did slap the off-duty officer with a firearm,” Lamarr said. “It does depict Elijah pointing the firearm at the off-duty officer. The off-duty officer did respond, we believe, in accordance with his training and did fire off several shots.”
The video then shows Wilks reappearing on the other side of his vehicle as the officer fired additional shots, striking him multiple times. Wilks died at the scene.
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Family members and Lamarr expressed concern that the officer did not administer first aid after the shooting, though they said they believe the officer’s actions were justified.
“I want to now take this moment to address what we did see,” Lamarr said at a news conference. “And again, this is something that oftentimes, I don’t think I’ve ever come before and did a press conference like this, but we will acknowledge that we do believe that this officer-involved shooting was justified.”
He added that while the shooting was “unfortunate and tragic,” the family “stands before you today acknowledging the officer’s actions.”
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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 … everybody loved my brother,” said his sister, Elayjah Wilks.
His aunt, Andrea Ward, said the incident could have happened to anyone, adding, “We are all one seat away from making the wrong decision.”
Another aunt, Latrice Bell, said, “He made a decision that he should not have made, and that is just something we have to live with. I don’t believe Elijah knew that he was a police officer, but whether it was or wasn’t — the encounter should have been different.”
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Under MPD policy, next of kin must be allowed to view video within 48 hours of a deadly incident, and relevant footage must be released publicly within 15 days.
In this case, the department released the video well ahead of that deadline.
Lamarr said the family’s decision to acknowledge the officer’s actions was not easy but reflected their desire for accountability, transparency, and healing in a city still grappling with the toll of violence.
The MPD did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.