Opinion ID: 6353417
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Shooting Investigation

Text: ¶6 In the summer of 2019, Officer Milone and his partner were on patrol when, at approximately 10:06 p.m., they received a computerized ShotSpotter report in their squad car. It stated four shots had been fired about three blocks away from the officers' location. Nimmer described the reported location as highly residential. The officers drove there without activating their squad car's siren or flashing red and blue lights. ¶7 Officer Milone had responded to many similar reports in the past. He was a nine-year police veteran assigned to the Violent Crimes Saturation Unit, and his typical[] duties included respond[ing] to calls like ShotSpotter, shots fired, subject with gun, armed robbery, calls of that nature involving gun and gun violence. He testified when he responds to a ShotSpotter report, he looks for [a]nybody who is shot, any 4 No. 2020AP878-CR people who are shot, any potential suspects, anybody walking around still shooting, [and] any witnesses[.] When he sees individuals near the reported location, he explained he tr[ies] to see what their response is upon sight of police, see if they are shot, see if they take off running, see if they start grabbing any part of their clothing, any part of their body. Effectively, he watches for evasive or nervous behavior. ¶8 The officers arrived on scene no more than one minute after receiving the ShotSpotter report and encountered Nimmer. Officer Milone testified Nimmer was at basically the exact location where the ShotSpotter came in. He further testified the officers did not see anyone else——only Nimmer. ¶9 Nimmer observed the squad car and immediately accelerated his pace away from it——in fact, he doubled his pace, according to Officer Milone. Milone worried Nimmer was trying to distance himself from the squad car because he was considering fleeing. Milone testified, I have observed many times somebody begins to accelerate their walking pace right before going into a run from police. He also testified Nimmer began digging around his left side with his left hand. ¶10 Officer Milone then stepped out of the squad car and approached Nimmer. Milone testified: As I was approaching him behind him, he began turning his left side away from me. So at that point his left side was more forward and I could only really see his right side. I could observe his left arm was still digging around. I was directly behind him on the sidewalk and his right hand was within view, but his left hand was not. 5 No. 2020AP878-CR Milone used blading as shorthand for Nimmer's turning motion at other points in his testimony. When asked to define blading, he said, [b]lading [i]s the term I use when I talk about [Nimmer] moving his left side away from me where I could only see his right side. That would have been the part where he was blading his body. From Nimmer's blading, Milone inferred, based on his training and experience, [Nimmer] did not want me to be able to see his left side. ¶11 The officers then stopped Nimmer to investigate whether he had been involved in the shooting. Officer Milone testified he conducted a pat-down of [Nimmer] for officer safety for any weapons. As Milone began, Nimmer said, [t]he gun is in my waistband[.] Milone then felt Nimmer's waistband, and on Nimmer's left side, concealed under his shirt, was a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson semiautomatic pistol.5 ¶12 The State charged Nimmer with being a felon in possession. He had been previously convicted of possession with intent to deliver THC, in violation of Wis. Stat. § 961.41(1m)(h)1.