Two Racine men arrested in fatal shooting of Koreem Ozier

Originally published by Racine County Eye.

RACINE, Wis. — Two Racine men have been arrested in the fatal shooting of Koreem Ozier, and police have recommended a first-degree intentional homicide charge against one of them, the Racine Police Department said.

Collin Wallace, 23, and Justin Millard, 23, both of Racine, were arrested Monday, Sept. 21. Police referred Wallace to the Racine County District Attorney’s Office on a recommended charge of first-degree intentional homicide and Millard on a recommended charge of aiding a felon, according to a police news release.

Neither man had been charged as of Tuesday. The district attorney’s office listed both men as “on hold; not received” on its prisoner list that day. Police said the district attorney’s office will review the case and may add charges. Police Chief Alex Ramirez said at a news conference Tuesday that an arrest is not a conviction and that both men are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

What we know, and what we don’t

What we know: Wallace and Millard were arrested Sept. 21. Police referred Wallace to the district attorney on a recommended charge of first-degree intentional homicide and Millard on a recommended charge of aiding a felon. Police said one man was the driver and the other the shooter, that the shooting was not preplanned, and that neither man knew Ozier.

What we don’t know: Police have not said which man was the driver and which was the shooter, what led to the altercation, or a motive. The district attorney’s office had not filed charges as of Tuesday.

What we’ll check next: Whether the district attorney files charges and what they are, the men’s first court appearances, and what replaces the city’s Flock system after it shuts off around Oct. 15.

The shooting at 12th Street and Memorial Drive

Officers were called to the area of 12th Street and South Memorial Drive at about 8:56 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, for a report of a shooting and found Ozier, 27, with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was taken to an Ascension hospital in Racine and died of his injuries, police said. Police said Monday that preliminary information indicated Ozier had become involved in an altercation with an unknown male and was shot in the chest.

Previously: Koreem Ozier, 27, killed in shooting near 12th and Memorial; no arrest announced

How the arrests happened

Wallace was arrested in front of the police station while he was on his way to turn himself in, police said. Millard was arrested during a stop.

Police said the shooting was not preplanned. The two men knew each other, but to police’s knowledge neither knew Ozier, police said. Police said one of the men was the driver of a vehicle and the other was the shooter, but did not say which, and declined to discuss a motive.

Police are not seeking additional suspects. The investigation remains active, and detectives still want to speak with the many people who were at the scene, Deputy Chief Jessie Metoyer said. Metoyer said investigators worked the case over two days with little to no sleep.

Police credit Flock technology

Police said two Flock Safety systems played a role in the case. Flock Raven, a sound-detection system, alerted officers that a shooting may have occurred, Ramirez said, and Flock Falcon automated license plate reader cameras helped investigators locate a vehicle believed to be connected to the homicide.

“Our automated license plate reader technology then assisted investigators in locating a vehicle believed to be associated with the homicide,” Ramirez said. “That information provided investigators with an important investigative lead as they worked to identify and locate the individuals connected in this case.”

“This is an example of how technology can help our officers respond more quickly and give investigators additional information,” he said.

Ramirez said the systems were one part of a comprehensive investigation, and that detectives combined them with other evidence and investigative work. Asked later about the two systems, he said they “were very helpful in this investigation.”

Metoyer said that without the technology leads, “we wouldn’t be standing where we are today. It would take much longer to get there.”

Racine’s Flock contract ends Oct. 15

Both systems are made by Flock Safety, the vendor the Racine Common Council voted Sept. 15 to drop. The council’s Finance and Personnel Committee had recommended keeping the cameras through Dec. 31. After a motion to end the contract immediately failed 6-8, alders split 7-7 on a 30-day wind-down, and Mayor Cory Mason broke the tie. The amended measure passed 8-6, and the city’s system is expected to go dark around Oct. 15.

The vote followed nearly two hours of debate over privacy and public safety. Residents and some alders raised concerns about surveillance, how Flock uses the data it collects and officer misuse, and Ramirez told the council an internal audit had found two officers allegedly misusing Flock access. Alders who favored the committee’s timeline said the city had already paid for the system through 2026 and had no replacement plan, and Ramirez said a replacement could take six to nine months. Mason had said in his Sept. 9 State of the City address that he would not fund Flock in next year’s budget and urged the council to end the contract immediately. The Racine County Sheriff’s Office separately ordered its own Flock cameras removed Sept. 4, saying the company had built and marketed a separate data set from the cameras’ information.

Related: Racine council ends Flock camera contract in 30 days — but only because the mayor broke a tie

Asked whether he wanted the council to bring Flock back to Racine, Ramirez said he was dependent on the council and its votes and would follow whatever it decided.

How to share information

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Racine Police Department Investigations Unit at 262-635-7756. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Racine County at 262-636-9330 or through the P3 Tips app.

A violent weekend

Ramirez also addressed the broader impact of violence in the community.

“I also want to remind our community that we cannot allow violence to become normalized,” Ramirez said. “Every incident affects more than people who are directly involved.” He said violence affects families, neighborhoods, businesses and the entire city.

Ramirez opened the news conference by noting four violent deaths over the weekend involving people with ties to Racine, among them Darius Allen, killed in a Racine crash. He said police do not believe the four cases are connected.

Remembering Koreem Ozier

Maurice Horton, a violence prevention supervisor for Racine County, said he knew Ozier. Horton is also a Racine alder and took part in the council’s Sept. 15 Flock debate. Horton said he worked at Mitchell Middle School and would bring Ozier, then a Case High School student, in with other basketball and football players to mentor boys in a group there. He said Ozier’s love spread throughout Racine.

Ozier went on to play basketball overseas and came back to Racine periodically, Horton said, and people were glad to see him.

“He was always lending a helping hand,” Horton said.