The Milwaukee County medical examiner’s office has revised its ruling on the death of Derek Williams, who died in Milwaukee police custody in July 2011, from natural to homicide, according to the district attorney’s office.

The decision came after the Journal Sentinel alerted an assistant medical examiner to newly released records - including a video of a suffocating Williams pleading for help from the back of a squad car - and also made him aware of a national expert who said Williams, 22, did not die naturally of sickle cell crisis.

In response to a death in police custody being ruled a homicide, Milwaukee’s police chief, Ed Flynn, responded that he “did not expect any officers to be criminally charged.”

He also pledged to form a “review board” to review cases involving people who have been assaulted, murdered, or otherwise victimized by Milwaukee police.  However:

The review board’s membership will not include anyone outside the Police Department. All members will be selected by Flynn, and an assistant chief will oversee it. Board reports and recommendations will be presented to Flynn and [Fire and Police Commission Executive Director, Michael] Tobin, and whether to implement them will be solely up to Flynn.

Read the whole investigative report here.

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