Officer, victim in fatal police shooting ID’d

The Wisconsin Department of Justice on Thursday identified a police officer and the man he shot and killed Oct. 18 in Watertown.

Justin C. Whitten, 30, was fired upon by Watertown police officer James Simon after Whitten turned on officers with a handgun, DOJ said.

Police had been responding to a call late that morning about property damage at an apartment in the city. Whitten fled the apartment before police arrived, but they caught up with him shortly thereafter in a parking lot on Tower Drive, where the shooting occurred, DOJ said.

Despite lifesaving efforts, Whitten died at the scene.

Simon, who has nine years of law enforcement experience, and another officer who responded to the call were wearing body cameras, and DOJ’s Division of Criminal Investigation is reviewing images from them as part of its investigation into the incident.

Findings from the investigation will be turned over to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, which will decide if any charges are warranted.

Simon was placed on paid leave after the shooting.

— Wisconsin State Journal

Cluster bomblet, ammo found in donation

A live cluster bomblet and ammunition have been found in a donation dropped off at a thrift shop in southeastern Wisconsin.

An employee at the Janesville Goodwill made the discovery while conducting inventory Friday morning, according to the Janesville Police Department.

The store and surrounding area were evacuated as a bomb squad was called in to remove the small bomb and ammunition.

“Employees quickly followed safety protocols by informing store and donation center management and safety teams who then evacuated the building out of precaution for shoppers, donors and employees,” Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin said in a statement to WKOW-TV.

The store and donation center resumed operations shortly after 1:30 p.m. Friday, the statement continued.

Bomblets are part of cluster bombs which contain multiple explosive submunitions. Used during battle, the bombs can be dropped from planes or fired from the ground. Janesville police were trying to determine who left the bomblet and ammunition at the Goodwill store.

— Associated Press