Police said the confrontation followed a vehicle pursuit tied to a shots-fired investigation in nearby Glendale.
MILWAUKEE, WI — A 23-year-old man was killed and a Milwaukee police officer was injured Tuesday evening after a vehicle pursuit led to a foot chase and an exchange of gunfire on the city’s north side, authorities said.
Milwaukee police said the incident began about 5:50 p.m. Sept. 8 when officers patrolling near North 39th Street and West Meinecke Avenue saw a car matching the description of a vehicle wanted in connection with a shots-fired incident in Glendale. Officers tried to stop the car, but a pursuit followed.
The vehicle eventually stopped in the 2500 block of North 37th Street, according to police. Two people ran from the vehicle. One was not apprehended, while an officer pursued the other man to the 2400 block of North 37th Street.
Police said the officer repeatedly ordered the 23-year-old man to get on the ground during the foot pursuit. Authorities said the man did not comply and that he and the officer then exchanged gunfire. Police have not publicly released the man’s name.
The man suffered a gunshot injury and died at the scene despite lifesaving efforts by Milwaukee police and the Milwaukee Fire Department, authorities said. Police reported finding a firearm in his hand and another firearm in his waistband. A third firearm was recovered from the vehicle involved in the pursuit.
The officer who fired his weapon is 35 and has more than three years of service with the Milwaukee Police Department. He was taken to a hospital with what police described as a nonfatal injury and was later released. Police had not provided additional details about the nature of his injury.
The officer will be placed on administrative duty, a routine step following an officer-involved shooting, police said. The department has not publicly identified the officer.
The Milwaukee Area Investigative Team is investigating the shooting, with the Wauwatosa Police Department serving as the lead agency. The outside investigation is intended to examine the circumstances surrounding the use of deadly force independently of the Milwaukee officers involved in the confrontation.
Milwaukee police said video connected to the incident will be released in accordance with the department’s procedures. Authorities have not said when that release will occur or provided additional information about the person who escaped after leaving the vehicle.
The investigation remained active Wednesday. The identity of the man who died, further details about the original Glendale shots-fired case and the whereabouts of the second person who fled had not been publicly released.
Author note: Last updated September 9, 2026.