MILWAUKEE — Authorities have identified the woman who died after being struck by a Milwaukee police squad car Monday morning as Hayley Linville, 31.
SUPPORT THE FAMILY - GOD BLESS YOU
The crash happened around 11 a.m. near South 20th Street and West Lapham Boulevard, according to the Milwaukee Police Department. Officers had been dispatched to reports of a person walking in and out of traffic in the area.
As one officer turned into an alley during the search, his squad car hit Linville, who was lying at the alley entrance. Assistant Police Chief Nicole Waldner said parked cars partially blocked the officer’s view.
Linville was conscious after the collision but later died at a nearby hospital, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed. Witnesses told reporters Linville appeared to have been suffering from a medical issue before officers arrived, as she had been seen lying motionless in the alley.
Neighbors expressed frustration and sorrow following the tragedy.
“This is not something that should be happening,” said Edward Garrett, a local resident. “The police should know what they’re doing. Not this. Their job is to protect us, not hurt us.”
Officials said the officer involved is a 44-year-old man with 18 years on the force. He has been placed on administrative duty while the investigation continues.
The Milwaukee Area Investigative Team, led by the Waukesha Police Department, is reviewing the circumstances of the crash. Autopsy results will determine Linville’s official cause of death in the coming days.