Police arrested numerous protesters who blocked southbound lanes of I-43 Friday evening. The group is pushing District Attorney John Chisholm to issue charges against former officer Christopher Manney in the fatal shooting of Hamilton in April. Credit: Rick Wood

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Protests over the fatal police shooting of Dontre Hamilton produced mass arrests in Milwaukee for the first time Friday as demonstrators temporarily closed I-43 in both directions during the evening rush hour.

The Milwaukee County sheriff's office said late Friday that 73 adults and one juvenile were arrested. After the scene cleared at I-43, about 100 people picketed outside the Milwaukee Police Administration Building.

The protesters were calling for justice in the case of Hamilton — who was fatally shot by a Milwaukee police officer during a confrontation at Red Arrow Park — and pledged to stay downtown until those who were arrested on the freeway were released.

Among the protesters outside the Police Administration Building were Dontre Hamilton's brother Nathaniel Hamilton and mother, Maria Hamilton.

"We're still peaceful," Nathaniel Hamilton said. "Nothing is burning. Nothing is torn down. No one's hurt. I don't want them to think being disruptive is being violent."

Demonstrators gathered at Red Arrow Park at 4 p.m. Friday before marching from Water St. to westbound State St. They then headed north on N. 6th St. and split into several groups that took the highways.

During the freeway disruption, which lasted for about 75 minutes, one group was standing in the southbound lanes and another in the northbound lanes.

According to Nathaniel Hamilton, he and some of the other demonstrators were gathered on a freeway ramp. When authorities told them to leave, police began to arrest people before they could disperse, he said.

Milwaukee police have not confirmed any arrests, but earlier in the evening the department tweeted that "individuals who chose to endanger the public by blocking roadways are being arrested" by officers and Milwaukee County sheriff's deputies.

Journal Sentinel reporter Jesse Garza was among those arrested Friday night after he followed the protesters about a quarter-mile onto the freeway at Fond du Lac Ave. He was released after about two hours and not cited.

Jonathan Safran, an attorney for the Hamilton family, said he personally does not approve of anyone being on the highway.

"Everybody, I believe, and certainly we as the attorneys, want everyone to be peaceful," he said. "There's some civil disobedience. I don't approve of anybody being out on the highways, that's just too dangerous."

"The Hamilton family can't control other groups that may come in, but certainly they've attempted to advise those other groups not to do anything that in any way is going to be violent," Safran said.

In a statement released late Friday, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said: "I'm angry and disappointed that the individuals involved in tonight's protests decided to take their demonstration to the interstate and disrupt the lawful flow of traffic and jeopardize the safety of citizens. The Milwaukee Police Department has shown commendable and considerable restraint in policing all of the protest activities to date.

"Tonight's demonstration, however, crossed the line of lawful protest and put the lives of the demonstrators and the general public in harm's way," Barrett said. "Those individuals actively engaged in such activity should be arrested and charged."

The Milwaukee Police Department also criticized demonstrations in a tweet late Friday, saying "intentional disruptions inflicted on this city impose a very real public safety cost on the community at large.

"Every officer protecting protesters from death/injury in traffic is one pulled from neighborhoods most at risk from violent crime."

Seeking charges

The demonstrations are pushing Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm to issue charges against former officer Christopher Manney in the fatal shooting of Hamilton on April 30 in Red Arrow Park.

Police Chief Edward Flynn fired Manney over his handling of the incident leading up to the shooting of Hamilton. Manney has appealed the firing.

Safran said Friday that he expects a decision on charging "very soon."

Hamilton's death has been the subject of a series of protests in downtown Milwaukee, led by his family and supporters.

Manney shot Hamilton 14 times during an incident that began when workers at the nearby Starbucks called police to complain about him sleeping in the downtown park. A pair of officers checked on Hamilton twice and found he was doing nothing wrong, according to a Milwaukee police internal affairs investigation.

Manney was not aware the other officers already had been to the park when he retrieved a voice mail regarding Hamilton's presence there and responded to the call, that internal investigation showed.

As Manney began to pat down Hamilton, Hamilton fought him and a confrontation ensued. Manney tried to use his baton to subdue Hamilton, but Hamilton got control of it and swung it at Manney, hitting him on the side of the neck, according to Milwaukee police internal affairs.

Manney then shot Hamilton repeatedly. Milwaukee police are trained to shoot to stop a threat, and the weapons they use fire multiple rounds quickly.

In days after the shooting, police officials highlighted Hamilton's history of mental illness and said the mental health system failed him. Hamilton's family has said he received treatment for schizophrenia but was not violent.

Hamilton's family members worked with Barrett, the Police Department and other city leaders to have all officers receive Crisis Intervention Team training, considered the gold standard for working with people in psychiatric crisis, by 2017. Manney, the officer who shot Hamilton, did not have such training.

Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. contended that Friday's protest was steered by outsiders trying to stir trouble.

"Several anarchist groups led by outside persons are gathering in the Milwaukee area to plan disruptive activities both before and after the decision by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm regarding the Dontre Hamilton case," he said.

"The groups intend to destabilize daily activities of law-abiding citizens by blockading the Interstate and other roadways, and prevent law enforcement from responding quickly to emergency situations," Clarke said.

Twitter coverage from the scene:

Activists wrote #DontreHamilton's name on the sidewalk outside the 1st precinct with mud. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/dnMM8e4Jmt — Wisconsin Jobs Now (@WiscJobsNow) December 20, 2014

Protesters chant "no justice, no peace" in front of police admin building. pic.twitter.com/nK7kmvvRiE — Ashley Sears (@AshleySears6) December 19, 2014

#DontreHamilton's brother, Nate addressing the group of demonstrators pic.twitter.com/wYA1bLyWBZ — Priscilla Luong (@priscillaluong) December 19, 2014