Justice for Milks

[shinblind]

Something keeps bothering me and bothering me about this since X posted a link to the second half of the report 2 days ago.
And then, while reading the autopsy report {4 slugs recovered from the body, not 2 as mentioned elsewhere} it dawned on me.
In the report it states that there are no visible teeth. Lee Milks had no teeth. No teeth. Let that sink in a bit.

There are no dentures accounted for in what Milks possessed that day.

But there is a list of  other articles that Milks was carrying, i.e. cash. a black cell phone, car keys, another key ring, a half pack of breath savers, a suspender clip.

No teeth, no dentures.
Yet in Van Sickles statement he clearly states,'' Milks was visibly agitated and gritting his teeth.''

and

Gritting what teeth?
Was Van Sickle so unnerved that he was hallucinating? Did he also imagine that Milks was agitated? That Milks was pointing a gun at him?
How does one without teeth exactly grit their teeth?
No, I am sorry but Van Sickle is either lying on his statement or else is imagining events that didn't happen. Maybe some of both. Where is the truth? It is not in Van Sickle.

But this event's outcome wasn't imagined. 
Lee Milks was executed by a trigger happy cop.
Justice for Lee Milks.

[Freedom Seeker]

Thanks shinblind for the clarification that four slugs were recovered.  Didn't one graze off his hand?  It it grueling and long to read. I do recall the autopsy said he had no teeth but didn't put together Van Sickle's report that he was gritting his teeth. Thanks for that.  It's gruesome to read, and comprehend how quickly the shooting happened.  Maybe Milks dentures were jarred right out of his mouth upon impact of so many shots?  It is hard to comprehend.  What also struck me from the autopsy was that he wasn't in the best health.  Why couldnt a gentler, kinder code enforcement officer tried to help the guy rather than agitate him after business hours?

[XLFD]

Shinblind Holmes comes through for Lee Milks in a big way.  Thank you for noticing that, it does make Vansickle's narrative one big piece of fakery; I have always said the version in that report was not written by Doug Vansickle nor did it adequately cover the facts.  I did add some graphics for illustrative purposes of the reports just to allow those who have not scanned through both reports to see the big lies.

[Freedom Seeker]

There's a lot  of things that dont add up in Van Sickle's narrative.  The big one to me is, that he said he would leave, but instead he's calling for backup.  That's like peeing right up Judge Judy's leg and telling her it's raining.  Kozal doesn't have the ability to tell the difference between piss and rain, in commerating Van Sickle.  That's probably what agitated Milks to go get his gun.  That's the seven minutes on the log report, imo, that prove that Van Sickle was agitating the situation, without written notice, without respecting citizen property rights, and without having a search warrant.

[shinblind]

Hey X, 

Am curious why you think Van Sickle didn't write the report.

[XLFD]

I have four reasons for that suspicion, not an ironclad case, but one that Perry Mason might be able to get to the bottom of if he had a couple officers on the department testifying. 

Rather than publicly air those reasons at this point, I reserve the right to research this more when our new chief comes to town.  Due to COVID-19 and his department's problems with it, his start day has been pushed back until he can get things in order in Manistee.

[Freedom Seeker]

I'm speculating but just looking to see if anyone reads anything in any of the reports or otherwise: it seems that Milks was probably sitting in his house watching the 5 p.m. Channel 9 & 10 News (can be heard in audio when cops are in the house), when he sees Van Sickle going into his yard (I wonder if van sickle even knocked, we'll never know with no video), but from Van Sickle's report Milks told him "go ahead but I'm going to get my gun." It might have been something like that but it was probably more like Milks said, "FU, get off my property. If you go back there I'll get my gun." Then when Van Sickle is still in his yard and Milks returns with his gun, Van Sickle shoots upon seeing Milks with a gun (not pointed according to Milk's dying words). It is a tough situation because Milks was hostile, but if only Van Sickle would have left in the first few minutes (by his own account it took 6-7 minutes) Milks may still be alive, and his bus could have been fixed up and sold. That's what serve and protect means. Where's helping a man change a flat tire?

In reading the back incident reports, there were reports alleging that Milks "threatened" a cop at Wahr Hdwe some months before this. And another call that Milks threatened a neighbor who had called the cops on him for having his bus in his backyard. I just wonder if the ex-marine pumped up his ego that day and said he would go take care of Milks. It's a very unfortunate killing, with a lot of covering up reports for 30 months, and yet Kozal exonerates Van Sickle for making so many mistakes.

[Freedom Seeker]

This is a gruesome thought, but since there are no dentures accounted for on the coroner's inventory, which seems comprehensive, it would seem that Milk's dentures did not go with him to the hospital. Maybe they were lost in the ambulance or helicopter or hospital transfer if paramedics had to insert breathing tube, etc. Another possibility is that his dentures popped out upon impact of seven shots mostly to his chest and abdomen. Your question, shinblind, also makes me wonder if when Van Sickle twice says that Milks is "gritting his teeth" at him it is because maybe Milks, retiring after 5 p.m. had taken his dentures out, and when Van Sickle started trespassing around Milk's backyard, Milk's might have scrambled to put his dentures in to answer the door with some dignity ... but Milk"s dentures weren't quite secure and that's what Van Sickle interprets as "gritting his teeth," how loose dentures kind of move forward when one talks.
Just a thought trying to make sense of the haunting nightmare. I find it amazing that with five or six? penetrating chest and gut wounds that Milk was able to give his side of the story: "trigger-happy pig, I never pointed the gun."

Exonerating Van Sickle may have been justified by the officer's narrative because Milks has a gun.  Whether he points it or not we'll never for sure know because there is no video.  A dead man's story against a living officer.  But, imo, Van Sickle should not have been commended for that incident because of his trespassing and lack of video.

[shinblind]

FS

We can speculate all day on the missing dentures, but it is sloppy police work at best with no follow up. Did Milks have a dentist? Did he wear dentures? Are the missing dentures sitting in Van Sickles trophy case next to his Medal of Honor??

Shooting 7 rounds would take less than 2 seconds. Common police practice is to shoot until the perp stops moving. Common practice is also the claim the officer feared for his safety. 

Milks dying declaration hold more weight than Van Sickles justification of events. At that point Milks had no reason to lie where Van Sickle would be totally motivated not to tell the truth to protect himself.

Is the City of Manistee safer with Doug ''Quick Draw'' Van Sickle carrying a gun and still on the force? Is it better served? Maybe he should have lost his license to carry and instead of receiving an award he should have been assigned as permanent blight official. Manistee could even provide him with a spiffy uniform to go with his MOH.

[Freedom Seeker]

I agree, shinblind, the stories don't add up and it is top-shelf sloppy investigation and reporting. There is a lot of time MPD scurries around in Milks' house having time to set the scene and make up stories before MSP arrived to investigate.

The public is left with having to speculate because police narratives and what video is available don't jive. Van Sickle's non-videoed narrative was believed by the court over the real audio of Milks claiming that "he didn't point the gun." Why would Milks point/aim if he was unstable coming down the steps? I think that Van Sickle may have slipped into hyper-hallucination mode just by seeing Milks' gun.

As far as Van Sickle still being able to carry a weapon, Manistee must believe citizens are safer with a "trigger-happy pig" at large, quoting Milks' dying testimony, and it's "justice" to believe an officer who is trespassing and disobeying a citizen to leave his property and doesn't have his video on. It's another senseless killing that sets the example not to bring a gun to the door if police roam around your back yard after hours if you want to stay alive.

Van Sickle says that Milks kept "repeating that he was a FUCKING pig." I listened many times, and hear only once where Milks says "TRIGGER-HAPPY PIG, I didn't point the gun." Once. Then he has trouble breathing. That is on video. Van Sickle exaggerated his story on that little point--imagine what the rest of the story would show if it had been videotaped.

[Willy]

"It's another senseless killing that sets the example not to bring a gun to the door if police roam around your back yard after hours if you want to stay alive." Excellent point FS.

I don't know what to make of the teeth. It does seem odd that Vansickle claims to have seen teeth than cannot be accounted for especially when it's in an official report. This is another example of how the handling of Milks' death was shoddy at best and criminal at worst.