Milwaukee County deputy investigated on suspicion of running red light in crash that killed MPS official

Investigators are focused on what may have caused a Milwaukee County sheriff's deputy to run a red light when his squad car collided with another vehicle on Saturday, killing a Milwaukee Public Schools lobbyist, sources say.

Milwaukee County Deputy Joel Streicher, 50, is on administrative leave while the Milwaukee Police Department investigates the downtown accident that killed Ceasar Stinson, a 47-year-old community activist and MPS official.

Sources have said investigators are interested in whether Streicher may have been preoccupied or distracted at the time of the crash.

Last year, Streicher was the subject of media attention when he pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge after he was caught up in a prostitution sting. Streicher was ordered to pay a $250 fine and submit a DNA sample after agreeing to a plea deal.

Prior to that, Streicher was a highly regarded, 23-year veteran of the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, having served as a detective, member of the SWAT team and commander of the K-9 units for the agency.

In 2018, he was given the David Demos Award — named for a deputy who was killed in the line of duty by a drunken driver — by then-Acting Sheriff Richard Schmidt for his career achievements. Schmidt said Streicher was responsible for 185 felony arrests since 2002, "delivering a significant blow to the criminal element in Milwaukee County over the years."

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Streicher did not return calls, and no one answered the door at his house when the Journal Sentinel went there Thursday.

Faithe Colas, a spokeswoman for the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, was not immediately available for comment.

Streicher was the driver of a sheriff's office squad car in downtown Milwaukee on Saturday when his vehicle collided with a car driven by Stinson.

Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas has said the deputy was traveling north on North 10th Street at 11:14 a.m. when he collided with a westbound car on West State Street, causing the car to turn on its side.

Stinson was in the car and was unable to be revived, despite efforts from the Milwaukee Fire Department. A female passenger in his car was injured.

Lucas has declined to identify Streicher, saying only that the deputy involved in the crash is 50 years old, matching Streicher's age. Lucas has called the crash "unfortunate" and "tragic."

Streicher joined the department in 1996 by working at the Milwaukee County Jail. Since then, he has had assignments with the felony warrant squad and the criminal investigations unit.

"Detective Streicher is a peer leader, has a reputation of professionalism both inside and outside of our agency, and continues to impart those standards to others around him," Schmidt said in giving Streicher his career recognition award in 2018.

The same month that he got the award, he was charged with disorderly conduct after he responded to an ad posted by the state Department of Justice for "women seeking men" on a website known for prostitution.

According to the criminal complaint, Streicher replied to the ad via text message and an agreement was made to exchange money for a sex act. Streicher also called and spoke with an undercover officer and the two arranged to meet.

Streicher did not show up for the meeting, but an investigation revealed his identity, which was confirmed by a special agent who formerly worked with him and identified his voice on the recorded calls, according to the complaint.

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 224-2135 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice.