Brown Deer hires expert for independent review of Haughton encounters

Brown Deer has hired Robert C. Willis, a law enforcement instructor, trainer and consultant, to review the Police Department's numerous interactions with Zina and Radcliffe Haughton, Village Manager Russell Van Gompel announced in a news release today.

Radcliffe killed his estranged wife, Zina, and two other women, and injured four more at the Azana Salon and Spa in Brookfield on Oct. 21 before taking his own life.

The Brown Deer Police Department has since come under scrutiny for failing to arrest Radcliffe after a number of domestic abuse incidents. An Oct. 30 letter signed by 12 Wisconsin lawmakers calls for an external audit of the Brown Deer Police Department's interactions with the Haughtons.

"In the interest of getting an unbiased evaluation of the facts and law enforcement standards relevant to the Village of Brown Deer Police Department's contacts with the Haughtons, we have hired Wisconsin Law Enforcement Instructor Robert C. Willis to conduct an independent review of all contacts with the Haughtons", Van Gompel said in the release. "We have instructed Mr. Willis that he has no restraints on the scope or depth of his review."

Willis has served as a patrol officer, SWAT team member, and in a number of training positions. He is currently a part-time patrol officer in Milwaukee County, is a Deputy Sheriff in Brown County, and works as a full-time instructor and trainer at the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Tactical Training Complex.

Willis' report will be made public at the conclusion of his review.