Michael M. Bell Post Office Box 42 Kenosha, WI 53141-0042 Plea4Change@aol.com (262) 553-2194 he father of a man police fatally shot outside his Kenosha home in 2004 filed a lawsuit this week against the city seeking access to the bullet that killed his son. Citizens in Kenosha can no longer remain quiet, and the public must know all about the many problems in this case and the refusal of city administration to address these problems.. He grew up on Kenoshas southside attending Vernon El. The officer said Belltook his gun. Bell offers another detail to support his contention that his son never touched Strausbaughs gun: In a 2005 State Crime Lab report on the shooting, investigators stated they found no evidence of the younger Bells DNA on the weapon. A police officer who, according to a police report chose to follow Bell after observing his driving, arrived shortly after. Kenosha.com has partnered with local funeral homes to provide up to date and comprehensive obituary listings at no cost to families. She was born on September 30, 1958 to Amy P. Pfalzgraf and Walter Fincke in Fond du Lac, WI. Kenosha Police Officer Who Shot And Killed Michael Bell Jr. Running For "And another officer thought that Mike Bell was trying to disarm his partner," Barton says. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Sometimes you misinterpret something. He said his suspicions about the degrees authenticity fit into a pattern of deception he believes is tied to a cover-up of the circumstances of his sons death at the hands of police nearly 18 years ago. Bell filed a lawsuit in September 2021 demanding the bullet. She says that what led to the shooting was one of the officers shouting, "He's got my gun.". A Kenosha police officer who was involved in the controversial and highly publicized fatal shooting in 2004 of 21-year-old Michael E. Bell committed suicide early Sunday, according to Chief John . An unarmed Michael Bell Jr. was shot and killed by Kenosha police officers in front of his parents' home in 2004. He has created a website and Facebook page and commissioned a documentary video that is posted on YouTube, highlighting elements of that official account that other evidence appears to contradict. Michael M. Bell subsequently sued the city. Beckman and Bell believe that Strausbaughs holster might have been snagged on the cars side view mirror. Timothy Bell Obituary (2017) - Racine, WI - Kenosha News - Legacy.com Beckman, the retired detective working with Bell, disputes Graveleys claim about the so-called touch DNA. In 2021, Beckman filed a grievance against Graveley with the state Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR). That mirror was in fact broken after the incident. The younger Bell was killed by police during a traffic stop on Nov. 9, 2004. Although we give you the inside scoop, we are not a publication for insiders. Instead, we cover the way politics and government affect citizens of the state. Bullet lawsuit, complaint to governor. The family used the settlement money to fund a grassroots campaign. Susan was born on November 11, 1951, and [], Gloria J. Laurin age 79 of Twin Lakes, WI. Updated daily. "The platform I'm going to have is what I'm running for. The police shooting of Michael Bell was wrong. "After we created enough ruckus, the unions ended up sitting down with us and talking with us," Bell says. Born on October 31, 1934, he was the son of the late Frank [], It is with our deepest sadness to announce Nola May Raines has passed away on April 26th, 2023. Competitive balance is coming to WIAA high school sports. He spent 24 years as a freelance writer for Milwaukee Magazine, Isthmus, The Progressive, BNA Inc., and other publications, winning awards for investigative reporting, feature writing, beat coverage, business writing, and commentary. Search. , Kenosha Police officer Erich Strausbaugh pulled the younger Bell over into the driveway of his home after pursuing him. I am fully confident that the officer's actions complied with the Kenosha Police Department's use of force guidelines.". Nearly 17 years ago, Michael Bell Jr. pulled up to his house in Kenoshaand an officer followed him after observing his driving. Bell recognizes that their accomplishment with the bill happened with the help of the police. In an earlier interview, in March 2021, Bell said that understanding exactly what happened and what did not happen when his son was killed is important to ensure that there is full accountability for the people involved. Morrissey had Kaplan, now part of Purdue University, send Ezell an official transcript. [], Micheal Kenneth McCambridge, 61, of Kenosha, was called home to his Lord on Friday, April 7, 2023, at his home after valiantly fighting cancer for over six years. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and . Bell had hired Michael Haag, a nationally recognized ballistics expert with the Albuquerque Police Department, to review evidence collected from the homes garage trim, which suggested that it sustained an impact from the bullet from the shooting. He finished a distant third in the contest Tuesday night.). 2023 by Wisconsin Public Radio, a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. RECENT OBITUARIES. (Gonzalez was one of four people who ran in the August 9 Republican primary for Kenosha County sheriff. A lawsuit from Michael M. Bell seeking to gain access to the bullet that killed his son outside his Kenosha home in 2004 has been dismissed. The campaigning went on for years, but Barton says the message really gained momentum after another police incident in 2011, where a 22-year-old man died in the backseat of a police car. She was born on December 28th, 1934, to the late Walter and Mae (Czochara) [], Pamela M. Kraft age 79 of Randall, WI died April 24, 2023. The investigation showed that the actions of the officers were reasonable, appropriate and well within Kenosha Police Department policy, procedure, and training. Albert Gonzales, Kenosha Police officer who shot Michael E. Bell, plans Dashcam footage shows the two men talked and then struggled. Born on []. "Because if you actually did do everything right, why wouldn't you want a transparent investigation that clears you and that shows everybody why you did the right thing?" "Is the prosecutor looking at the case by the facts involved or are they looking at it through the lens of a 30-year relationship (with law enforcement)," Bell said. Dash cam footage from inside the squad car shows Bell exiting the vehicle he was driving, where he was confronted by the officer. Born in [], Dolores Mae (Gratz) Fox Foxie, age 80, passed away at Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital on Saturday, April 1, 2023, surrounded by her loving family after a short illness. Shirley Ann Ruth Pierson Norberg was one of those bright souls that left a trail of stardust in [], Susan McClure, 71 years old of Kenosha, WI formerly of Racine, WI passed away in her home on Monday April 10. Im planning on running those not only regionally but also on some high-profile events.. Bell had asked that he be allowed access to the bullet that killed Michael E. Bell Jr. about 17 years ago outside the garage at his home on the citys south side for further investigation and analysis. New Bell documentary released Michael Bell Jr. KENOSHA -- On the anniversary of his son's death, Michael Bell said he hopes a new documentary will get the case reopened. Based on the police account, the bullet would have been fired away from the garage. They took out ads in the New York Times, in USA Today and on radio and created TV commercials. But Michael M. Bell points to several specific pieces of evidence indicating that Gonzalez stood on his sons right side when the shot was fired, not his left side. Gonzalesthen shot Bell Jr. in the head. Courtesy of the Bell family She was born on September 30, Four officers were involved in the incident, and as Bell Jr. was held down over a car, one officer yelled Hes got my gun.. As the father of Michael Bell, who was killed by a rogue police officer, I am going to be the first citizen calling for a vote of no confidence, Bell said. It was dismissed by Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Chad Kerkman on Thursday. The family later received a $1.75 million wrongful death settlement. Sign up now! But the case did result in the city paying a $1.75 million settlement to his family in a federal lawsuit, and it pushed Wisconsin to require outside law enforcement agencies to investigate officer-involved deaths. Forensic evidence contradicts police claims of events. That case also has been dismissed. Michael M. Bells son was killed in the driveway of his mothers home the elder Bells ex-wife. Here's what it means. But the other officers who were on the scene were in a position to understand that Strausbaugh was mistaken, Bell and Beckman believe. Edward Mitchell, Walter Fincke Jr., Kenneth Fincke (Teresa) and Ginny Brandt Fairbank; and her former husband Michael M. Bell (Susan). Police had no lawful reason to stop Michael Bells vehicle, and in so doing, violated not only the law but also their own Policies and Procedures. She was born January 14, 1935, in Gaustadt/Bamberg, Germany, the [], Albert (Al) J. Arzt, age 85, passed away peacefully on April 23, 2023. All rights reserved. Son of the late Gordon L. Webster and Elsie [], George Sam Collura Jr., age 53, of Kenosha, passed away at Aurora Medical Center in Kenosha on April 16th, 2023. In the last year, that campaign has escalated culminating with public allegations that Bell has directed at the Kenosha city administrator, a former Kenosha police chief. As a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Michael Bell Sr. says he's been a part of mishap investigations before. And is it really proper for the police to be policing themselves? Later in May, Bell took out national newspaper ads again, this time accusing the police department of having concealed the presence of the fifth officer as a witness, and asserting that the same officer also collected evidence at the scene despite having been a witness. He was born and grew [], An empathetic caregiver with a wicked wit, Janice entertained kids with her childlike enthusiasm for songs, make-believe and projects. Elliot Hughes. Bell says the family was in shock as they went through the difficult grieving process and were trying to make funeral arrangements, so he cautioned patience. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Here's what it means. The elder Bell says that the scenario placing Gonzalez on the right side is supported by the autopsy evidence, the blood pattern on the car hood and the eyewitness testimony. Bell raised the subject again during the public comment period before the city councils July 6 meeting, and got no response. After the younger Bells death, the autopsy report identified the bullet entrance wound on the right side of his head, with the exit wound toward the back of his head on the left side. "But apparently, they either didn't hear that or disregarded it," Barton says. Video: Kenosha police save driver after minivan bursts into flames, Meet Gaston: The Disney villain in Kenosha's "Beauty and the Beast" show, TODAY'S TEEN 2023: Lia Montemurro of LakeView Technology Academy, Bristol man accused of child enticement, assault and possessing child pornography, Racine man charged in Kenosha after fleeing from deputies in Walmart parking lot, Kenosha woman charged with burglary, theft and child neglect, Instagram mom convicted for fabricating story about kids' kidnapping, Rare images captured of butterflies taking flight after emerging from chrysalis, Ride like royalty! Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Michael M. Bell is seeking an outside independent analysis of the bullet involved in the 2004 death of his son in a Kenosha Police officer-involved shooting. The police used unlawful and excessive force against Bell, both tasing and choking him. In 2019, Bell found a dent in siding flashing on the garage. Mar 22, 2022. He was the son of the late Oswald and Marie (Betthauser) Arzt. "Im alarmed by it, I do think many of the good people of Kenosha County will see through it, and its not going to be an issue," Bell Sr. said. The city settled for $1.75 million. Bell timed the ads to run when the eyes of much of the world were on Kenosha because of the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot and killed two people and wounded a third in August 2020 during the unrest that followed the police shooting of Jacob Blake. City officials showed no interest in the proposed deal. Bell believes the dent was made by a bullet, and a ballistics expert he hired reported that the dent had traces of lead. She was born on September 26, 1943. Police testified that Michael had his hand on Officer Strausbaughs gun, but The Wisconsin State Crime Lab found no fingerprints or DNA. Ryan Franklin Bell Obituary (1975 - 2023) | Salem, Wisconsin - Echovita Records suggest she turned it, Misogyny is fueling the countrys gun violence epidemic,, Voting: registration, locations, absentee ballots. The Kenosha police officer who was the subject of a $1.75 million wrongful death settlement is running for sheriff as an office of the Wisconsin Supreme Court considers the conduct of thecounty district attorney. Numerous armed officers were present when they pinned an unarmed Michael against a vehicle in his driveway and fatally shot him in the head. Bell charges that is why the city, the police department and the Kenosha County district attorney have all rejected his calls to reexamine the incident. He said the shooting of Bell Jr. in 2004 is "all in the past. They gave statements that Gonzalez was on the younger Bells right side, not his left side as the police account has claimed, and that Strausbaugh was immediately behind Gonzalez. Bell Sr. then accused the officers of excessive force and violating his sons civil rights in a federal wrongful death lawsuit. Police reenacted the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Bell three times. Continue to article content. Bell believes Haags examination of the bullet would uncover more evidence toward an accurate portrayal of how his sons death unfolded. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In 2020, Gonzalez, the officer who shot Bells son, self-published a book giving his own account of the shooting. TIMOTHY BELL OBITUARY Timothy Bell Timothy "Tim" Bell, Professor Emeritus U.W. While the report views the details of Morrisseys degree and transcript with skepticism, it doesnt offer any hypotheses for how such a record could be falsified. Officer who killed Michael Bell is running for Kenosha County sheriff Aug 24, 2020 KENOSHA, Wis. For Michael Bell, the shooting of Jacob Blake hits especially close to home. Michael Horton Obituary (2016) - Kenosha, WI - Kenosha News - Legacy.com The decision that is being appealed is that the Board would take no action on the complaint filed. Forensic evidence contradicts police claims of events. Bell bought every available billboard in Milwaukee with slogans like: "When Police Kill, Should They Judge Themselves?". In the mass email message that Bell sent on June 30 and in an interview, Bell said he believes Morrissey was involved in blocking the release of the bullet. Michael R. Montemurro, 86, of Kenosha, was called to heaven on Saturday, May 2, 2015, at Banner Hospice in Sun City West, Ariz. "I presume their investigator will review the submission and again make a recommendation on whether the board should further review. it pushed Wisconsin to require outside law enforcement agencies, has continued battling for accountability ever since, Kenosha police have killed at least 5 people in last 17 years, Gonzalesalso self-published a memoir about the shooting, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Before the libel suit was dismissed, another detail in the book caught Bells attention: the mention that Gonzalez makes in the narrative of a fifth officer among the witnesses to the incident in contrast to the four that had been identified in official police reports. Find the obituary of Kim Marie Bell (1958 - 2023) from Kenosha, WI. The Wisconsin Examiner has several times sought an interview with Antaramian about Bells claims and accusations. Kenosha News Recent Obituaries: All of Kenosha News's Recent Obituaries At this point, Bell was up against the hood of a car parked in the driveway. Gonzalesalso self-published a memoir about the shooting last year titled, A Fateful Two Minutes. The book, which uses pseudonyms for Bell Jr. and his family, prompted a lawsuit from Bell Sr. alleging the book contains demonstrable falsehoods and misquotes, twisted to present Mr. Bell in a false light.. The testing, according to Bell in correspondence with former Police Chief Daniel Miskinis along with other evidence from the scene, such as shell casing location and slug location, civilian eyewitness testimony and the finding of lead in the indentation" suggests that the bullet that killed Michael Bell was fired from an angle different than what was described in sworn testimony by Kenosha police officers.. Gonzales has been with the Kenosha Police Department since 1997 and is a native of Kenosha County. You do the best you can, even with that misinterpretation.. She graduated from Gwinn High School in Gwinn, MI and attended Gateway College in Kenosha. YORKVILLE A Kenosha man who was found unresponsive in a car at a gas station is facing multiple drug charges. Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Kim Marie Bell, 64, formerly of Kenosha, late of Milwaukee, passed away peacefully, Sunday, February 12, 2023 at her residence. with Gov. He [], Arthur Webster Molette, Jr., age 74, passed away at Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital on Friday, April 14, 2023. More:Kenosha police have killed at least 5 people in last 17 years, Weve seen this type of delusion before with him, Bell Sr. said of Gonzales. In fact, police officers need to be part of the solution.". According to the suit, some of the circumstances surrounding his sons death have not been resolved, including the physical positions of the officers and Michael at the moment of the shooting.. Son of the late Art Kambs and Betty Shumard Kambs, [], Stanley E. McCormick, age 94, passed away Friday, April 21 at his daughters home with his wife Genevieve at his side. Follow Wisconsin Examiner on Facebook and Twitter. OLR has rejected Beckmans grievance as well as subsequent appeals. Michael Bell is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Born on June 8, 1934, in [], Julia Angelos, 80, of Pleasant Prairie passed away on April 5, 2023, at Froedtert South Pleasant Prairie Hospital. That response is understandable, they say. Maybe the city is worried about future litigation instead of what is just and right., Bell asked the City Council if Antaramian and Morrissey, the former police chief, are controlling a bullet the will implicate them in a crime., I believe they are deliberately stalling the discovery of evidence to avoid prosecution for their role in a police murder, Bell said. "She called me up: 'Dad, you need to come to the hospital, Michael's been shot.' Kenosha.com has partnered with local funeral homes to provide up to date and comprehensive obituary listings at no cost to families. "I was just completely appalled," Bell says. On November 9, 2004, a Kenosha police officer shot Michael Bell in the head one day before Michael was to testify at a court hearing regarding a previous incident with the same officer who stopped him this last fatal time. With this voluminous new submission, I presume the director would want his professional staff to do due diligence,"Graveley said in an emailed statement. The university, citing privacy laws, refused to discuss Morriseys transcript with the Wisconsin Examiner. Nevertheless, in an email message that Bell sent June 30 to dozens of Kenosha-area elected officials, Bell stated, I strongly believe, based on the findings of Allen Ezells report, that former Chief of Police John Morrissey fraudulently obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice.. Vera was born in Kendall, WI [], Donald P. Kleczka, age 88, passed away on Saturday, April 22, 2023 surrounded by his loving family. Bell obtained permission from the current owner for the excavation of the segment. Graveley sent a letter to Bell Sr. in September 2017 declining. So they were cleared really quickly. In March 2020, Gonzales self-published a 102-page book about the Bell shooting titled "A Fateful Two Minutes." He has filed documents seeking to question not just OLR officials but also state DOJ personnel, questioning statements that the DA had made about his communication with the crime lab analysts. He was expecting a long, drawn-out investigation into his own son's death not a decision made by the same police department in just a couple of days. [], Lois Annette Travor, age 79, passed away at her residence on Sunday, April 2, 2023 surrounded by her loving family. These forensic facts remain a constant no matter how anyone says the shooting of Bell occurred. Meanwhile, the stateSupreme Court Office of Lawyer Regulationhas agreed to evaluate ifKenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley mishandled his 2017 decision not to launch a John Doe investigation into the shooting. Bell timed the ads to run when the eyes of much of the world were on Kenosha because of the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot and killed two people and wounded a third in August 2020 during the unrest that followed the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Morrissey was hired as administrator in June 2020, four years after retiring as Kenosha Police Chief, a position he was appointed to in 2008. "So to clear themselves in 48 hours, I was just completely flabbergasted.". A 30-year-old Kenosha woman is facing numerous criminal charges after allegedly burglarizing a home and neglecting her children. "The officer probably thought he had grabbed the gun, because why would an officer say that?" After police in Kenosha, Wis., shot my 21-year-old son to death outside his house ten years ago . He entered into eternal life where he was greeted by his [], Leonard Floyd Willems, age 100, passed away on Friday, April 28, 2023 at Hospice House surrounded by his loving family. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The actions of the officers involved in the incident were deemed justified after an internal investigation. Graveley has maintained the allegations are without merit. A John Doe investigation is similar to a grand jury investigation, but it is instead overseen by a judge, rather than a jury. Two lawsuits that Bell filed one demanding that the city release the bullet that killed his son, the other accusing the officer who killed his son of libel have been dismissed; those rulings are on appeal. 13 years later: Documentary gives father of man shot by Kenosha police Scott Walker passed the bill into law. In Wisconsin, A Decade-Old Police Shooting Leads To New Law Each reenactment was inconsistent with the forensic evidence. Another tick-borne disease is on the rise in the U.S. Michael M. Bell of Kenosha, shown during an interview late last year, has found himself in the national spotlight over the last week, since Politico.com published an essay about the police. A Kenosha police officer shot and killed Michael E. Bell in the driveway of his mothers home in the early morning hours of Nov. 9, 2004. In the audio of this story, as in a previous Web version, we incorrectly say Bell was pulled over for suspicion of drunken driving and running a stop sign. The police shooting of Michael Bell was wrong. Bell asked the city to release the bullet so his ballistic expert could examine it and compare it with the dent. Bell's son was shot and killed by police in Kenosha, Wis. Race is at the forefront of the current debate over the police use of deadly force. Theres been a number of decisions that have been handed down from the Kenosha Circuit Court that have been reversed on appeal, Bell said. He was born September 16, 1936, in Reedsburg, WI, the [], Vera Verda Meinhardt, age 102, formerly of Marshfield and Greenwood, passed away at The Legacy at St. Josephs in Kenosha on April 22, 2023. Duane M. Wallace ( 1947 - 2023 ) Duane Michael Wallace, age 75, passed away on Monday, April 24, 2023 at Aurora Medical Center Kenosha. He was the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio. You can cancel at any time. J.P., the son of John M. and Barbara K. Schwarz, was born on [], John H. Nielson, less than a month shy from his 66 years old, passedaway on April 21, 2023 at St. Lukes Hospital-Milwaukee surrounded byhis family. "So if you know this officer, if you've worked with him before, can you really be objective in terms of evaluating that shooting? But there was no admission of wrongdoing, and the police maintained that Michael Bell Jr. caused his own death. Michael . Susan was born on October 15, 1954, in Chicago, IL, the daughter of Gilbert [], Gary L. Brockman, 86 years old of Kenosha, WI passed away Friday, April 28, 2023, at Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital. She is survived by her husband Donald, daughter Jennifer and her husband [], Renee Mae Gielas (Malinowski), age 88, of Kenosha, passed away on April 24th,2023 at her residence. And then she told me it was by a police officer," Bell says. According to documents in his city personnel file, Morrissey fulfilled requirements for his degree by taking correspondence courses. Bell's father, Michael Sr., says he'll never forget the phone call he received on the night of Nov. 9, 2004, from his oldest daughter. The investigator, Allen Ezell, a former FBI agent, spent months and produced a 258-page report. Josephine Josie Perez, went home to Jesus on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 at her residence, Woods of Caledonia Assisted Living; she was 76. Mayor Antaramian refuses to release a bullet that may refute KPDs version of the shooting. A 43-year-old Racine man is facing numerous criminal charges after allegedly attempting to flee from Kenosha County Sheriffs Department deput. Along with a retired Kenosha police detective named Russell Beckman, Bell Sr. has continued searching for an avenue to hold Gonzalesaccountable. Tony Evers, charging that Attorney General Josh Kaul and the DOJ had ignored his repeated requests for the agency to take a new look at his sons death. Michael Bell continues attacks on mayor, city administrator regarding He was born on March 1st, 1970, in Illinois, to [], Diane Reed, (Kohler/Schiller) age 75 a resident of Pleasant Prairie died April 11th, 2023, at Aurora medical Center in Mt. Uber offering horse drawn carriage rides in honor of royal coronation. He believes that what happened was the result of an avoidable error in judgment an error that should be recognized and from which police and prosecutors might learn so that its less likely to happen again. The Michael E. Bell Shooting - Evidence & Investigation Bell's father, Michael Bell Sr., hired his own investigators, who discovered considerable inconsistencies with the police account. It's a story of how through faith and resilience, he and his family overcame persecution, threats, and media attacks.". Skeptical of the speed with which the police department investigated and cleared its own officers, Bell began campaigning for a new state law requiring investigations of deaths at the hands of police to be conducted by outside agencies a law that was enacted in 2014.