The unrest in Sherman Park after a fatal police shooting Saturday appears to have mostly abated, but the social media communication that helped fuel it has, if anything, intensified and focused on the officer.
As of Tuesday, at least 3,000 people have shared a Facebook photo of the 24-year-old Milwaukee patrolman who fatally shot 23-year-old Sylville Smith – some of them adding furious and threatening comments.
The posters gave the officer’s name, Dominique Heaggan, and some included his home address. The Journal Sentinel has independently confirmed his identity, which has not been released by the Police Department. He is also known as Dominique Heaggan-Brown.
The Journal Sentinel is naming the officer because his identity already is widely known and readily available.
Heaggan and Smith, both of whom are black, knew each other from the Sherman Park neighborhood, multiple relatives and friends have said.
Most people shared the same photo — Heaggan, in uniform and standing in front of a squad car — or shared stories of interacting with him on the streets.
Not only have social media posts been personally directed at Heaggan, some expressed broader anger at police and what they see as systemic problems — in law enforcement, in race relations, in the city of Milwaukee.
On Monday afternoon, the District 7 police station was briefly closed because of threats, including shots fired nearby, according to Police Chief Edward Flynn. Police were not sure whether the station was targeted, and it reopened by 8 p.m.
Milwaukee police are aware of threats on social media, against both the officer and police in general, Flynn said Sunday. The officer, Flynn said, was staying with relatives out of town.
The Milwaukee Police Department did not respond to specific questions Tuesday asking for more information about the threats, including whether any arrests have been made.
Michael Crivello, president of the Milwaukee Police Association, called threats to officers and their families reprehensible and uncivilized and said the people who make them need to be investigated and charged.
City officials have said, based on preliminary information, Heaggan was patrolling about 3:30 p.m. Saturday near N. 44th St. and W. Auer Ave. when he pulled over what he believed to be a suspicious vehicle. According to authorities, Smith was armed with a gun and turned toward Heaggan. The officer fired.
Heaggan was wearing an operational body camera, officials said. Both the footage and the autopsy report are in the custody of the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation, which has declined to release that information citing the ongoing investigation. Many community members are frustrated by that decision.
No citizen has ever filed a complaint against Heaggan with the city’s Fire and Police Commission, the board said Tuesday. He joined the force as a police aide in 2010 and became a sworn officer three years later. A year after that, he was recognized by police officials for helping a homeless woman.
Smith’s family has claimed he filed a lawsuit against the Milwaukee Police Department. The Journal Sentinel has not found evidence of such a suit — settled or pending — in state or federal court. Smith also never filed a complaint with the Fire and Police Commission against Heaggan or any other officer.
The threats come amid a tense backdrop of recent violence against police officers, including the fatal shooting of five officers in Dallas last month.
But online threats don’t always translate into real-world violence, said Maria Haberfield, a professor of police science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.
The threats that generally receive the most attention are those with a specific target and those with the widest reach, she said.
People who make online threats can be charged with crimes.
Many online posters shared stories about past interactions between Heaggan and Smith and about Heaggan’s style of policing.
Some of them agreed to talk with a reporter, including Deandre Ueal, 25, who said he knew both men.
Ueal said he played basketball with Heaggan when they were teens.
More recently, Ueal said, he had seen Heaggan and another officer patrolling on a bicycle in the neighborhood. Ueal said Heaggan would frequently shine a light in cars, then order people out.
“He seemed like he was so eager to get somebody in trouble, mess with someone. Too eager,” Ueal said.
Ueal said he knew Smith from years ago when they used to spend time at the Boys & Girls Club.
“He grew up rough. We all grew up rough. We all grew up in poverty, so it was kind of hard,” he said.
Since 2011, Smith was arrested or ticketed nine times. His family said he had a concealed-carry permit and carried a gun for protection after being a victim of robberies and shootings.
Scott Petri of New Berlin chimed in on one of the Facebook threads, urging people to stop with the threats.
Reached by phone, Petri said he feels like people are unnecessarily taking their anger out on the officer.
"He was doing his job,” Petri said.
Kevin Crowe, John Diedrich and Gina Barton of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.