After a Friday night chase and gun battle, Milwaukee police killed a man facing a homicide charge who had been free on bail despite a child sex abuse conviction.
Ernest Terrell Blakney was the suspect killed, according to the Milwauke Journal-Sentinel.
Assistant Police Chief Nicole J. Waldner said the chase began at about 10:50 p.m. when officers attempted to arrest Blakney.
The chase ended in Milwaukee’s bar district when the vehicle being chased became disabled.
Multiple shots fired on Water Street in Milwaukee tonight. Everyone please be safe and share with anyone in the city. pic.twitter.com/QhXaQh2aSQ
— sam (@samlister222) September 3, 2022
Blakney got out of the vehicle and fired at police, Waldner said. Police responded by shooting Blakney, killing him.
A 22-year-old bystander was shot, sustaining injuries police said were not life-threatening. It was unclear whether police or the suspect shot her.
Shots fired downtown Milwaukee near Trinity & Harp. These videos are screen-recorded from the snap map.
Can hear the beginning of shots at end of first clip. Second clip, “they said buddy’s dead.”
Terrible. pic.twitter.com/NLO9z4ESkZ
— Devin Grainger (@devlightyear) September 3, 2022
On Aug. 15, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge David Borowski rejected the prosecution’s demand to jail Blakney immediately after his plea in a sexual assault case, according to WISN-TV.
Has the justice stem forgotten about the rights of victims and the public?
“As the defense points out, there have not been any violations or any issues while the defendant has been out of custody. He’s been out of custody for a very long period of time,” Borowski said then, according to a transcript. “The defendant will stay out of custody. He does not need to be remanded under these circumstances.”
Blakney was to remain free while awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. His attorney Jonathan Smith asked for this time in order to give him time to get his affairs “wrapped up,” according to the transcript.
Ten days later, Blakney’s girlfriend, Nikia Rogers, was killed. The apartment where she and Blakney lived was torched that day, as well.
According to WITI, Rogers was found by firefighters with four gunshot wounds.
A criminal complaint said Rogers had told another individual that she was planning to move out.
One man cited in the complaint said he received a message from Rogers’ phone number at the time of the fire saying, “You should have left her alone.” In a follow-up message, the sender wrote, “she dead.” The witness said when he asked if the sender was Blakney, the sender said it was.
A second witness was cited in the criminal complaint as saying that on the day of the fire, Blakney showed up at the home of the witness “soaking wet” and bleeding.
Police said that later on the day of the fire, a construction worker was robbed of his vehicle at gunpoint, and he identified Blakney as the suspect.
