An 18-year-old suspect was arrested after striking a Milwaukee police officer with his vehicle and prompting officers to fire during a chaotic Fourth of July street takeover on Water Street early Sunday morning, the Milwaukee Police Department said.
The incident unfolded around 2:16 a.m. in the city’s downtown entertainment district as officers patrolled amid reports of reckless driving, crowds blocking streets and multiple gunshots near East Knapp Street and North Water Street. Uniformed Milwaukee Police Department officers on foot observed an Audi fleeing the scene. As the vehicle attempted to escape, the driver struck one officer with the car while firing weapons at officers, police said in a press release.
Officers, including the injured one, returned fire. The suspect vehicle fled but was later located unoccupied in the 1200 block of West Fond du Lac Avenue. Authorities found the 18-year-old driver nearby. He had been struck by officers’ gunfire and was arrested after receiving treatment for non-fatal injuries at a hospital. A gun was recovered from the suspect’s vehicle, and another was found in the area.
The injured officer, a 25-year-old woman with less than a year on the force, was treated for non-fatal injuries and is expected to recover. Two other officers involved were placed on administrative duty pending an investigation.
Two additional people arrived at hospitals with gunshot wounds early Sunday but investigators have not yet determined whether their injuries stemmed from the exchange of gunfire with officers or from shots fired earlier in the chaos.
The episode occurred against the backdrop of a Fourth of July street takeover on Water Street, where crowds gathered for illegal sideshow-style activities including reckless driving, donuts in intersections and fireworks.
Such takeovers have plagued Milwaukee in recent years, turning public spaces into dangerous arenas for lawlessness, often drawing young crowds that overwhelm law enforcement and pose significant danger to the public.
