Off-duty Milwaukee Police Officer Matthew Willmann And Female Partner Allegedly Assaulted Several Photographers Covering Downtown Protest

An African-American female photographer allegedly claims that she and another White photographer were assaulted while covering a protest in Milwaukee by an off-duty Milwaukee police officer and a female, which later was discovered it was his wife, who both seemed to be intoxicated.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

July 6, 2020

Milwaukee, WI - On Sunday, Milwaukee police responded to a possible assault (altercation) complaint incident at the 1000 block of N. Old World 3rd Street in front of the Milwaukee Brat House Bar & Grill where an off-duty White Milwaukee Police Officer identified as Matthew Willmann, 37, and a female partner (his wife was identified as Marie, 36, "Maria") allegedly assaulted two photographers that were covering and documenting a downtown protest, which one is a female African-American identified as LaTasha Sangster Lux, according to her Facebook (FB) account where she posted about the incident.

Lux claims that she was physically assaulted (socked) by Willmann and his female partner also threw a drink at both photographers. Sean Kafer, the other photographer with Lux had his camera damaged as well.

In a video, off-duty Officer Willmann is seen walking up and striking Lux and then another man intervened quickly and pushed Willmann away causing him to fall backwards.

Lux posted on her FB account, "These fine Americans confronted a groups of peaceful protesters today by not only hurling obscenities and racial slurs, but the lady even threw a drink. Myself and another photographer who was documenting the protest were physically assaulted by the male resulting in camera damages. That last image is him right before he socked me. Please feel free to share. Let's make em' famous." She also posted Officer Willmann's photo including his female partner who seems to be smiling. Lux also indicated in a video posted as well that both Willmann and his female partner seemed intoxicated at the time of the assault.

Willmann and his female partner were not taken into custody at the scene. Lux says that she was told that, if she pressed charges against Willmann and his female partner, that in return, they will also press charges.

Police were able to see and recover outside surveillance video of the incident and police were able to take statements from multiple people who witnessed off-duty Milwaukee Police Officer Willmann and his wife assault both photographers, according to Lux.

The Milwaukee Police Department has yet to release a statement about Sunday's incident and why wasn't Officer Willmann and his wife taken into custody after police responding to the incident reviewed business surveillance video of the altercation at the scene.

Apparently, in another FB post by Jessica Kaminski indicated that it appears that both Lux anf Kafer were cited in the incident and Willmann and his were not. It has not been confirmed, if Lux and Kafer were actually cited by police.

Update: Milwaukee police cited Sean Kafer, a photographer for disorderly conduct for intentionally and without consent caused a disturbance in a city street. Off-duty Officer Willmann was cited by police for vandalism and was not arrested for assault and his wife who started the disturbance and verbal attack and tossed a drink at protesters was not cited by police. Neither Willmann nor his wife were arrested by police. The Milwaukee Police Department is investigating the incident that was caught on video, according to Wuwm dot com.