Police officer shot in Milwaukee, man charged with attempted murder

MILWAUKEE – A man from Milwaukee is now accused of multiple attempted murders. He is said to have shot and injured three police officers on Thursday, September 5th.

Prosecutors said Keith Jeter, 35, fired at police officers in an apartment building near the corner of 91st Street and Custer, who returned fire. Jeter was also shot and wounded.

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Milwaukee police said their Special Investigations Division as well as the U.S. Marshals Service were searching for a 35-year-old man, now identified as Jeter, who was wanted for several crimes – including false imprisonment related to domestic violence and sexual assault.

A criminal complaint states that officers entered Jeter's apartment after “extensive knocking” and announcing “police.” When officers entered the home, they began searching the apartment and shots were fired.

One officer described hearing a “barrage of gunfire” and falling onto a mattress, believing he had been shot, the indictment says. The officer also described feeling spent shell casings hitting him as he tried to protect his body with his ballistic shield. He also said “chunks of drywall” flew through the air. A woman in a neighboring apartment heard bullets coming through her wall and ran out with her 2-month-old baby, prosecutors said.

“That (expletive) sign saved my life,” another officer said, according to the complaint. “Otherwise I would have been dead. (expletive) hit me so many times.”

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The lawsuit states that Jeter once said, “If I come out with my hands up and show you the guns, can you just shoot me?” Jeter then threw two guns into the hallway and eventually crawled out of a bathroom. He was shot in the arm and taken into custody.

According to the prosecutor's office, a total of 254 bullet holes and impacts were found. 58 cartridge cases were fired from the officers' weapons, and Jeter fired 14 cartridge cases. Four officers returned fire, police said.

Shooting at the corner of 91st and Custer, Milwaukee

Jeter in custody

Investigators questioned Jeter. According to the complaint, he said he knew there was a warrant for his arrest and said he worked as an unarmed security guard “but he goes armed so he can get money.” He also said he knew he was not legally allowed to carry a gun but did so anyway “because Wisconsin allows guns to be carried.”

When he saw police outside and heard officers trying to get his attention, he armed himself, the indictment says. He told investigators he would “rather go to the morgue than jail.” He also said he called a man and told that man, “I promised my mother that when that day comes, I'm going to get the police to shoot me. You don't have to do much, just point a gun at them and pretend you're going to charge at them, they'll shoot them, suicide by cop. I'd rather do that than go to jail.”

Jeter said that when he saw a “big black shield” open the door to the chamber where he was hiding, he fired first “to get them to open fire” and then fired into the ground, the indictment says.

Overall, Jeter is accused of the following:

• Attempted first-degree intentional murder (four counts)
• First-degree reckless endangerment of safety (two counts)
• Possession of a firearm by a felon (two counts)
• Escaping bail for a serious crime

According to court records, his first court appearance is scheduled for September 10.

The four officers who fired their service weapons in this incident are a 39-year-old man with over 16 years of service, a 40-year-old man with over 12 years of service, a 43-year-old man with over 19 years of service and a 49-year-old man with over 19 years of service. The four officers will be assigned to administrative duties.

The MPD's Homicide Unit is conducting the investigation. Officers wore body cameras and the MPD said the video will be released in the next few days.