NEENAH, WI (WTAQ) – Just a day before Neenah’s Police Commission is set to address a complaint against Chief Kevin Wilkinson, Mayor Dean Kaufert has issued a statement talking about the investigation into the standoff at Eagle Nation Cycles.
Last December 5, police were involved in a situation which became a standoff with alleged gunman Brian Flatoff. During the standoff one of Flatoff’s hostages, Michael Funk, escaped only to be shot and killed by Neenah police officers.
The investigation was conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice and it was determined that the officers were justified in their use of force.
Flatoff is facing 16 charges, including two of attempted first-degree intentional homicide for allegedly firing at officers, on March 13.
A formal complaint has been filed against Chief Wilkinson by a group called the, “Archangels of Justice,” seeking to have him removed from the position. On Friday at 8 a.m., the Police Commission meets at City Hall, 211 Walnut Street, to review the complaint.
Mayor Kaufert issued a letter Thursday, discussing his review of the case.
Some of the topics Kaufert addressed:
- On the time the Dept. of Justice took to review the case:
“One of the troubling aspects of this entire investigation was the time taken by the DOJ to present their findings. Speculation and allegations grew within the community as they waited for over five months for the report. It was important that a thorough investigation took place to be certain there was 100% accuracy in the findings for the sake of the investigation. During this time I contacted the Governor’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office with a suggestion of streamlining the approach so the community would receive answers earlier. This suggestion resulted in action being taken to lessen the time frame for future events.
The question of whether or not laws were broken or if this was an unlawful shooting by our officers has been answered by the Attorney General. I concur with the DOJ findings which found the officers mistakenly-but reasonably thought Michael Funk was the armed hostage taker and was an imminent threat.“
- On the impending review of the complaint by the Police Commission:
“By state statute the Police Commission is responsible for hiring, firing and the discipline of sworn officers of the department. This helps to keep the elected officials and politics out of these important decisions. I have complete confidence in our commission’s ability to fairly review and act on any complaint filed by an aggrieved person.”
- On the comments he has received, particularly on the awarding of medals to officers:
“I have had many calls and emails with opinions on both sides of this issue. Many have been extremely supportive of the actions of our police officers that day. However, some have questioned the response and actions taken that day. Most of the comments have centered on decisions made after the shooting of Michael Funk with questions frequently raised about the awarding of medals for this incident. I would have preferred that we would have waited for a future time when investigations and legal cases were completed.”
- On his faith in the department:
“I believe this community has many questions and concerns with some of the decisions made after the shooting occurred and the rationale behind them. I believe a review by department staff will influence a better department overall in the future. It will also restore public trust to those with questions on why certain events took place during and after the December 5th incident.
I want residents to know that we will continue to provide ample financial resources to train and prepare our officers for these type of situations in the future. The decisions on what training is applicable is better left to the management team of the department.
As a department our responsibility is to protect our citizens from harm and insure our community continues to be safe. A place where folks want to raise a family. I believe the majority of the community has confidence in our officer’s ability to serve and protect them. Community members I have talked with have stressed that if needed they believe the dedicated professionals will respond appropriately.
Every day our officers put on their uniform, leave their home and say goodbye to spouses and children knowing a situation may present itself that they have a split second to react to. I pray they make the proper decision so they may return home at night safe and sound.
There is no denying the events on December 5th ended in the untimely and unfortunate death of Michael Funk. The investigations by DCI and independent expert Retired Appleton Police Chief James Lewis have concluded the situation was handled appropriately. While the shooting of Michael Funk directly resulted from the actions of Brian Flatoff, the City and the Police Department acknowledge those tragic circumstances led to a terrible outcome. At the same time, I have confidence that what our department and officers learned from this experience will help them perform their duties in the future.”
