Family of Elijah Wilks, Black man gunned down by off-duty cop in Milwaukee, admit shooting was justifed

The family of Elijah Wilks has said that a police officer’s decision to shoot their relative was “justified,” after dashcam footage of the incident was revealed by authorities.

Typically, Milwaukee cops wait 15 days before releasing videos of police shootings to the public, but they received the family’s permission to share the clip early to combat misinformation.

The shooting was captured on an unidentified officer’s dashcam on his way to work.

In the video, Wilks can be seen swerving in front of the cop’s vehicle before both pull over to the roadside.

When the two men exited their vehicles, Wilks shouted expletives at the off-duty police officer before thrashing his arm towards him. In his hand is a pistol that strikes the policeman in the face.

Slowly, Wilks backed away while slipping the gun back into his pocket. However, the clip shows him retrieving the weapon once again before aiming it at the officer.

In response, the cop draws a pistol and opens fire. Returning some shots of his own, Wilks crashes to the floor beside his car.

He is not seen again in the footage. Later, Wilks was pronounced dead at the scene by police.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, he was heading to his uncle’s funeral later that day.

Misinformation around the case began to swirl after surveillance footage of the shooting surfaced on YouTube. Due to the poor quality of the clip, the nature of the incident seemed initially unclear.

That led Wilks’ family to release the footage early, with their attorney, B’Ivory LaMarr, describing the shooting as “justified.”

“The vantage point and resolution of the official dashcam video answers every question,” LaMarr told reporters. “The Wilks family has seen the truth for themselves. Now they want the public to see it too.

“They are choosing truth over rumor — transparency over division.”

“This is not just about one case,” he added. “It’s about restoring public faith in law enforcement and ensuring that accountability is applied equally — whether it’s a citizen or an officer.

“Accountability and empathy can coexist. The Wilks family is proving that.”

Wilks’ aunt, Latrice Bell, said that her nephew took a “decision he should not have made.”

“That’s just something we have to live with,” she added.

"It could’ve been any one of us, any one of our kids, because we are all one seat away from making the wrong decision," added Andrea Ward, another of Wilks' aunts.

According to a press release from Milwaukee police, the officer involved in the shooting was rushed to the hospital to treat his injuries.

The Independent has contacted the Milwaukee Police Department for further comment.