Raw video
Man in controversial Milwaukee police arrest charged with fleeing
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee County District Attorney's office has charged a man whose arrest by Milwaukee police led to complaints against the department and an investigation into the arrest.
Jeffrey Strasser, 40, faces a misdemeanor charge of fleeing after he was arrested on April 12 in a parking lot on the corner of North Water Street and East Juneau Avenue.
Video showed an officer reportedly punching Strasser, a drunk driving suspect, in the head while handcuffing him.
According to police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz, the officer involved, Eric Ratzmann, had justification to use "focus strikes to the shoulder area" to stop Strasser from resisting.
Additionally, Mr. Randy Revling, an expert instructor and training of defense and arrest tactics for Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and the Wisconsin Department of Justice agreed with MPD's conclusions that the officer was justified in his use of force.
The criminal complaint says that a police sergeant spotted Strasser driving a black Lamborghini going south on Water without its lights on.
The sergeant followed the Lamborghini and turned on his squad car's police lights.
Strasser then reportedly sped up to escape, going 60 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone.
After turning a number of corners, the Lamborghini pulled into the lot.
According to police, Strasser refused to comply with officers' orders, and they had to struggle to bring him into custody.
Police said his blood alcohol concentration was .19, more than two times the legal limit.
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