Shooting at police station in Milwaukee: Defendant sentenced to prison

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Kenneth Brown; Kenneth Rogers

MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for a 2023 shootout with police in the city's north side.

Kenneth Brown, 22, took a plea deal in July and was convicted of charges including reckless endangerment of safety. In addition to the prison sentence, he was sentenced to seven years of extended probation.

Brown was one of two men charged in the case – which was also linked to a chase and a separate shooting. Kenneth Rogers, 20, is due in court for a hearing next month.

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Chase with the police

Police said the pursuit stemmed from the investigation into a Dec. 6 shooting that occurred near the corner of 29th Street and St. Paul that left a 20-year-old man injured. When officers attempted to stop a Honda SUV wanted in connection with the shooting, the driver fled, police said.

51st and Hampton, Milwaukee

Police say stop sticks were deployed at the corner of 68th and Hampton and the chase lasted about a mile until the SUV crashed. Police say Brown was the driver and Rogers was the passenger, who then ran away.

The Honda CRV had a New Mexico license plate and was reported stolen on Dec. 3. The SUV's owner told police the vehicle was parked in front of a home near Cambridge and Hartford on the city's east side at the time of the theft.

Police shooting

According to a criminal complaint filed against both men, police body camera footage showed Rogers running away from the crime scene and across the street with a black pistol in his right hand. Officers pursued the two men and repeatedly ordered them to drop the weapon, the complaint states.

Prosecutors said Brown and Rogers stopped running when officers continued to demand that they drop the weapon. Police said two officers fired their weapons, hitting both men. After the shooting, MPD Chief Jeffrey Norman said it was not clear if a gun was ever pointed at the officers.

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Brown and Rogers were taken into custody and taken to a hospital. Rogers was seriously injured, police said, and Brown is expected to recover. No other injuries were reported.

Prosecutors said a .45-caliber Glock semi-automatic pistol with a laser sight was found on the ground where Rogers was arrested. Court records say the weapon is likely a ballistic equivalent of the gun used in the shooting near the corner of 29th and St. Paul. Police said drugs — cocaine and fentanyl — were also found in the SUV.