They want to see Manney criminally charged

Hamilton's family have been holding rallies since the death - calling for better understanding of mental illness - but say they have had no answers

Manney was fired after an investigation found he identified Hamilton as emotionally disturbed but ignored his training and treated him as a criminal

Dontre Hamilton, 31, was shot by Milwaukee officer Christopher Manney after he found him sleeping on a park bench on April 30 and a scuffle ensued

The family of a schizophrenic black man who was gunned down by a white police officer in a park six months ago are still fighting for the cop to be arrested.

Officer Christopher Manney, 38, responded to a call for a welfare check for 31-year-old Dontre Hamilton, who was sleeping on a bench in Red Arrow Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 30.

He gave him a patdown but Hamilton, who had a history of schizophrenia and paranoia, became combative and the pair exchanged punches before Hamilton hit Manney with his baton, and Manney responded with gunfire, killing the man.

Earlier this month, the police department fired Manney, concluding that while he had correctly identified Hamilton as emotionally disturbed, he ignored his training and treated him as a criminal.

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Killed: Dontre Hamilton (left) was shot dead by Milwaukee police officer Christopher Manney (right) after Manney was called for a welfare check. A scuffle ensued between the men and Manney shot him 14 times

But the victim's family wants more: criminal charges for the officer, and improvements in the way mentally ill people are treated by police and social service programs.

Hamilton's family participated in a vigil days after his April 30 death but then said little publicly as they waited out an investigation into the shooting.

They carried out small, orderly rallies as they waited for details about what happened and for the officer to be disciplined.

They were frustrated months later, when protests erupted in Ferguson following the shooting of a black 18-year-old, Michael Brown, by a white officer.

Demanding answers: Maria Hamilton holds posters used in rallies calling the release of information and policy changes after her son, Dontre Hamilton, was shot and killed by a police officer

'We tried to be accepting and respectful of the way the system works,' Hamilton's brother Nate said. 'Until it got to the point where the Mike Brown thing happened. Now, you know who this police officer is, you're seeing them get information, and in Milwaukee, we're not getting no information.'

He added: 'They messed with the wrong family... I'm not going to back down.'

'They messed with the wrong family. I'm not going to back down Dontre Hamilton's brother, Nate

The family joined a Milwaukee demonstration organized to support those in Ferguson, and attention quickly focused on the similarities between the Brown and Hamilton cases.

Nate Hamilton acknowledged some missteps, such as when protesters blocked a freeway exit ramp or became disruptive at a Police and Fire Commission meeting.

But overall, the protests have been peaceful, which Nate Hamilton said is crucial to building support for the family's goals. While the protests have highlighted that Manney is white and Hamilton was black, Hamilton's family is focusing on broader issues, including mental health.

Police Chief Edward Flynn promised more training for officers dealing with people with mental illness and, on October 15, fired Manney, who has appealed.

Calling for justice: Relatives and friends rally for the district attorney to bring charges earlier this month in Red Arrow Park in downtown Milwaukee, where Hamilton was shot after an altercation with the officer

Tragic: Paint left in Red Arrow Park by Dontre Hamilton's family marks the area where he was shot dead

Hamilton's family wants to see Manney charged. The district attorney's office has delayed a decision until it gets a recommendation from a national use-of-force expert.

The Hamiltons have been studying the law and police policy to better advocate for changes. They're also finding other ways to channel their grief.

Hamilton's mother is organizing a support group for women whose sons died in police shootings or custody and hopes to address shortcomings in mental health and social service programs.

Maria Hamilton had struggled to get her son care after insurance problems caused him to miss his medication last winter. Until then, he had been doing well, living in group housing and working.

Without the drugs, he became paranoid and began moving from place to place, eventually ending up in the park, where he was sleeping when Manney responded to a call from a nearby business about him.

Memorial: Dameion Perkins, left, and his brother, Nate Hamilton, sing a song they wrote about the death of their brother. Proceeds from the song will benefit a foundation established in Hamilton's memory

Never forgotten: Nate Hamilton wears a bracelet honoring his brother Dontre Hamilton as he plays the song

'Had he had that medication, he might still be sitting here with us,' Maria Hamilton said.

Nate Hamilton and another brother, musician Dameion Perkins, wrote a song expressing their grief, anger and frustration. The song describes their 'worst fear' - a brother 'shot 14 times, didn't do no wrong. Laying in the park, really I don't see no harm. The investigation is still going on.'

Proceeds from the song sold on iTunes will benefit a foundation established in Hamilton's memory.

'We can't bring Dontre back,' Perkins said, 'but what we can do is help somebody along the way.'

Perkins and Nate Hamilton remain bothered by police descriptions of their brother as homeless and violent. They describe Hamilton as fearful, but not dangerous. He checked into a hotel two days before the shooting and had almost $150 in cash on him when he died.

Questions: The family said the high-profile rallies held in the aftermath of Michael Brown's death at the hand of white cop Darren Wilson (both pictured), has led to answers in that case that they haven't had in theirs

'He wasn't dressed bummy, he was still dressed well, he had some Air Jordans on his feet ... so we just felt like that was uncalled for,' said Nate Hamilton, who followed his brother into the roofing business before starting a remodeling company.

Maria Hamilton moved her sons from Gary, Indiana, to Milwaukee in 1995 to escape growing gang violence. She raised them to work hard, have faith and look out for one another.

But Perkins said the shooting showed them that they had to be leaders.