MPD chief suspends 4 officers involved in Bobbie Lou Schoeffling case
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman suspended four officers after a comprehensive review into the homicide of Bobbie Lou Schoeffling and police contacts leading up to her death, according to newly released records.
Officers Michael A. Budziszewski, Shaundae S. McIntosh, Gregory L. Carson Jr. and Shemar Moore received unpaid suspensions for their responses to two calls from Schoeffling on July 11, 2022.
That night, Schoeffling, a 31-year-old mother of two, had been reporting abuse and threats from her ex-boyfriend. The officers did not file any reports based on the calls, and Carson and Moore did not respond to the scene, only speaking with Schoeffling over the phone.
Schoeffling was found shot to death two weeks later, on July 26. Her ex-boyfriend, Nicholas Howell, was convicted of killing Schoeffling earlier this year and sentenced to life in prison.
Schoeffling's homicide was the subject of a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation in April 2023, which found police, probation agents and prosecutors missed the full scope of an escalating series of domestic violence allegations in the final 10 months of her life. Howell had two open warrants unrelated to domestic violence during that time, but was not arrested until after Schoeffling's death.
After publication, Norman ordered an internal investigation into all contacts Schoeffling had with police before she was killed. The department also asked the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission to conduct a "sentinel review" which resulted in more than 50 recommendations to improve policies, training and practices across agencies at the local and state level.
Budziszewski and McIntosh were suspended for 10 days, Carson received eight days and Moore received seven days, according to disciplinary summaries released by the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission. A records request to the Milwaukee Police Department for the internal investigation remains pending.
All four officers have appealed their discipline to the Fire and Police Commission. The appeal for Budziszewski and McIntosh is scheduled for Thursday. The appeal for Carson and Moore is scheduled for June 6.
The Milwaukee Police Department confirmed the internal investigation is now complete and these were the only officers to receive discipline.
What happened on the night of July 11, 2022
By July 11, 2022, Schoeffling or her sister had called 911 twice on different dates to report violent and abusive behavior by Howell in Milwaukee.
That night, around 9:20 p.m., someone called 911 from Schoeffling’s West Hampton Avenue address to report a friend's boyfriend was hitting her. The line was disconnected. Police called back twice, but the calls went to voicemail.
McIntosh and Budziszewski were dispatched to check the area and encountered Schoeffling and a friend.
McIntosh's body camera captured the officers asking Schoeffling the name of her ex-boyfriend and her reply: "I can't tell you guys because he really will come kill me. I've tried this before, I've tried this before and I'm sorry but like I can't ever."
Schoeffling also told the officers: "He always pulls up and just smashes in my windows and just does stuff and I just can't, just can't get rid of him. ... He (is) saying he is gonna have a gun, pull up here and shoot up my house."
The body camera also showed Schoeffling's friend hugging her and telling her they were going to fix the situation.
Schoeffling responded: "No, we're not. I'm gonna die. He's gonna kill me."
The officers did not write a report about the incident.
During the internal investigation, the two officers were given the opportunity to review the body camera footage. According to the disciplinary summary provided by the Fire and Police Commission, the person interviewing the officers pointed out they did not ask Schoeffling or her friend more specific questions about what they had described.
The officers "failed to conduct a proper investigation" when they "did not ask necessary follow-up questions to allegations of assault and threats, issue an arrest warrant for the suspect, and file necessary reports in a prompt, thorough, impartial and careful manner to ensure accountability and responsibility in accordance with the law," according to the disciplinary summary.
Budziszewski told his interviewer that the investigation was not thorough, admitted violating a department rule and said he would take "full responsibility" for it, records show.
McIntosh said he should have asked more questions, gathered more information about the suspect and figured out if the call was related to domestic violence, according to the summary.
He did not believe he had done anything wrong at the time but told his interviewer after reviewing the information that he believed he had violated a department rule.
After a second call, officers do not respond to location
At 10:45 p.m., Schoeffling called 911 again to report that Howell was back at her house, threatening to burn the house down, beat her and damage her car.
She requested officers return and said she was staying with a friend for the night.
At 12:07 a.m. July 12, two other officers, Carson and Moore, were dispatched to Schoeffling's home on Hampton Avenue. At 12:26 a.m., the officers cleared the call with an "advised" label.
The officers never went to the location, according to the disciplinary summary.
Instead, Carson called Schoeffling. He told internal investigators that Schoeffling said she was no longer at the residence, was safe and did not know the location of the suspect.
Carson also said he had spoken with the two officers who had responded earlier and they told him the caller did not need police services. Carson told the interviewer he did not think he violated any department rules and he thought the other officers had investigated the earlier battery report.
Carson's conversation with Schoeffling was not recorded because he did not turn on his body-worn camera. Carson said he had been in a loud area at the time and said he should have moved to a quieter location to use his body camera.
Moore, his partner, told investigators he only got the "gist" of the assignment from Carson and he believed filing a report was not necessary because the caller said they were safe and did not know where the suspect was.
Carson and Moore each received a seven-day suspension for failing to conduct a proper investigation when they did not respond to the scene and draft a report. Carson also received an additional day for failing to activate his body camera.
What came after these police calls: A report in person at District 3
Because none of the officers filed an incident report, there was no detailed written record of what happened and no case to refer to prosecutors.
That also may have affected how Schoeffling was treated four days later when she walked into District 3 to report another assault by Howell.
The officer who took the report, Shawn Toms, looked up Howell in the department's records system. Without a report from four days earlier, he only saw an October 2021 incident report when Howell was accused of beating Schoeffling and her sister.
Toms noticed no charges had been filed in that case. During his interaction with Schoeffling, which was captured on security footage, Toms assumed Howell had been arrested in October, even though he had not.
“So what do you think is going to happen this time?” Toms asked Schoeffling.
The security video showed Toms appearing to blame Schoeffling for the abuse she suffered and calling her derogatory names after she left the station. Much of the public outrage generated in response to the Journal Sentinel's reporting focused on Toms' treatment of Schoeffling.
After the Journal Sentinel raised questions about the interaction during the reporting process, Toms received a district-level review. Two sergeants reminded him of the department’s code of conduct, which calls for officers to treat the public with respect, dignity, courtesy and professionalism. Such counseling is considered non-disciplinary action.
Prior to publication, Norman and other police officials declined to discuss Toms' actions or the department's prior contacts with Schoeffling.
After the piece was published, the Journal Sentinel asked the police chief if Toms' behavior was acceptable.
"No," Norman replied.
Ashley Luthern can be reached at ashley.luthern@jrn.com.
Where to find help
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233.
The Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee operates a 24-hour confidential hotline at (414) 933-2722.
We Are Here Milwaukee provides information on culturally specific organizations at weareheremke.org.
The Asha Project, which provides culturally-specific services for African American women and others in Milwaukee, provides a crisis line from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 414-252-0075.
Diverse & Resilient, which serves the LGBTQ community, operates the "Room to Be Safe" resource line 414-856-5428 and has online resources at roomtobesafe.org.
The UMOS Latina Resource Center in Milwaukee offers bilingual, bicultural, domestic violence, sexual assault and anti-human trafficking supportive services and operates a 24-hour hotline at 414-389-6510.
The Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center offers culturally sensitive, trauma-informed services for those who have experienced domestic or sexual violence and can be reached at 414-383-9526.
Our Peaceful Home, which serves Muslim families and is a program of the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition, operates a crisis line at 414-727-1090.
The Hmong American Women’s Association, which serves the Hmong and Southeast Asian community, has advocates available at 414-930-9352 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The Women’s Center in Waukesha has a 24-hour hotline at (262) 542-3828.
The Haus Of Peace in Jefferson County provides resources to women and children who have experienced homelessness or abuse and can be reached at (920) 285-7179.
End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin has a statewide directory of resources at endabusewi.org/get-help.
Need more help with crime and safety questions? The Milwaukee Resource Guide is here to help. Have something you want answered? Submit a question.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee police officers suspended in Bobbie Lou Schoeffling case
