Milwaukee’s Common Council has signed off on a $950,000 settlement to resolve a federal lawsuit over a 2022 police shooting that left a man wounded in the doorway of his own home. The payout settles claims by Allen and Marqueta Dekeyser, who alleged excessive force and other civil-rights violations, and follows a recommendation from a key city committee. With the vote, the case comes off the federal trial calendar and the city avoids rolling the dice in front of a jury.
As reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the council’s action formally authorizes the $950,000 payment and instructs the city attorney to execute the agreement. Minutes from the Judiciary & Legislation Committee, posted on Milwaukee Legistar, show the panel recommended adoption of the settlement on Feb. 23, 2026, sending it to the full council for final approval.
The lawsuit traces back to a March 5, 2022 shooting at a residence near North 19th Street and West Hampton Avenue, where officers responding to a 911 call shot and injured Allen Dekeyser, according to Justia. The Dekeysers filed their federal complaint in February 2024, accusing officers of using excessive force, mishandling a witness’s phone and unlawfully detaining Marqueta Dekeyser. Local coverage at the time included edited body-camera video and interviews with family members, with TMJ4 airing the police footage and statements in 2022.
What the Court Record Says
A federal judge’s May 15, 2025 order kept part of the case alive and tossed other claims, and summarized the confrontation by noting, “Allen was shot in the doorway of his home.” The ruling dug into a disputed probable-cause affidavit and the plaintiffs’ claim of malicious prosecution. Justia shows several Fourth Amendment claims survived summary judgment, putting the parties on a collision course with trial before the settlement talks bore fruit.
Why It Matters To Taxpayers
The Dekeyser settlement is the latest in a run of expensive legal payouts for Milwaukee, including a multimillion-dollar wrongful-conviction deal that has already strained the budget. Urban Milwaukee has detailed how large judgments and settlements are reshaping budget planning and driving calls for police reform. While this agreement removes the uncertainty of a jury verdict, it is likely to fuel renewed debate over training, use-of-force rules and how officers handle evidence. For context, CBS58 reported that in 2025 the council approved a separate multimillion-dollar settlement in an in-custody death case…