By Erica Pollnow
It's revealing how long it took Alexis West to lose his job as a Milwaukee police officer: One OWI, one criminal misdemeanor, restraining order filings against him, a stint on probation and in the House of Correction, a failed drug test, and a botched deferred prosecution agreement all weren't enough to do it.
Even with a restraining order history, the Milwaukee District Attorney's office had granted him a deferred prosecution agreement that he didn't live up to.
It wasn't until West committed five new crimes in March 2006 that the department acted and eventually terminated him in June 2006.
Earlier, even after he was convicted of a crime involving his wife, technically charged as criminal damage to property, a judge overturned a ban ordering him not to carry a firearm, saying it was needed for his job as a police officer.
West's case demonstrates how even officers who themselves fly beneath the rule of law can remain on the force to reoffend.
In court almost every year - and not as an officer
From 1991 to 2006, West had found himself in court almost every year and sometimes more than once, according to Wisconsin’s Circuit Court System. Based on his large court file, West is also someone who’s received second chances when given a punishment.
West became a Milwaukee police officer in October of 1991.
Despite the pattern of problems that ensued, the system continued to offer West relaxed punishments:
- In one case, West was supposed to be suspended for more than 50 days without pay, but received reduced disciplinary action, serving less than half of the suspended days, according to his police personnel card.
- After his first misdemeanor, West was banned from carrying a firearm but the judge later overruled that ban, according to court records.
- West received a deferred prosecution agreement, after being charged with his first misdemeanor, even though he had a restraining order history.
West had been with the Police Department for slightly over two years, when he received his first restraining order filed against him by his first ex-wife, Janette West, in December of 1993. According to the statement filed, Janette stated Alexis pushed her up against the wall and took her down to the floor. He also allegedly threw their small child on to the floor, she said in the court documents.
West allegedly grabbed a chair and fired it at her but missed and hit the refrigerator door, leaving a large dent, according to the documents. West allegedly warned Janette: “If you caused me to lose my job or attempt to get a divorce, you will regret the day you were born.”
Janette received a temporary restraining order against West, who was told to stay away from Janette.
In 1995, West faced criminal charges that were dismissed. The details could not be immediately learned.
Janette filed her second temporary restraining order against West in April of 1996, over two years after they’d already been divorced. According to the statement accompanying the filing, Janette alleged that West constantly made hassling calls to Janette at work, sometimes 15 times a day. She maintained that he allegedly made constant threats against Janette, which caused her to fear for her life. He allegedly threatened Janette, saying he’s going to “kick her (expletive) because that’s the only way to do it,” according to the court documents.
One night, Janette was at her house, with her male friend, when Alexis allegedly showed up drunk, the documents said. He allegedly became verbally abusive with her, repeatedly shouting disrespectful names at her. West also allegedly entered Janette’s house without permission and stood outside her kitchen door when she had her male friend over, and he also allegedly watched her on the weekends when she goes out.
However, both parties agreed to dismiss the restraining order as long as the problem didn’t persist, according to the court file.
At the beginning of April 1997, less than one year later, Janette filed a third restraining order against West, alleging that, at all hours of the night, he was persistent with phone calls and was also calling other houses, in order to find where she’s located, according to the court file.
The documents filed in court say that West’s abuse in the past had created bumps and bruises, and now he’d made threats with his gun.
The injunction was denied.
This time, the police force was going to have West serve a 20 day suspension with no pay, according to his police personnel card, but the Fire and Police commission ordered the discipline to be dismissed, at the beginning of October 1997.
Failed drug test and a criminal conviction
In July of 2005, West received a criminal misdemeanor charge, criminal damage to property. He was charged because he threw a concrete statue through the rear window of his second wife, Helen Gary’s, car while she was sitting in the car, court documents say.
According to the court records, in August 2005, West was given a deferred prosecution agreement by the District Attorney's office that would have allowed him to avoid a conviction.
However, he failed to meet the conditions of the agreement. Out of the seven drug tests he had taken as a requirement of the agreement, three were negative, three were diluted specimen and one was positive, court records say.
In between, he also accrued a new offense. In September of 2005 at 11:09 pm, West was caught driving intoxicated, while heading down I-94 eastbound, according to court files. West’s punishment was supposed to be to pay a $790.50 fine, attend an AODA assessment and his license was supposed to be revoked for eight months.
He remained a police officer.
In February 2006, the criminal misdemeanor case was reopened, and he was sentenced for the crime. He was placed on probation for two years and ordered to serve 45 days in the House of Correction with work release privileges.
Still, West remained a Milwaukee police officer.
In fact, the department would not move to terminate him until he committed a string of new crimes several months later.
Originally, West was told not to carry a gun as a result of the misdemeanor conviction. However, Judge Fredrick C. Rosa reconsidered, saying: “to maintain his employment with the police, he must be allowed to possess a firearm and is allowed to carry one,” court documents say.
The beginning of the end
Less than one year later, after receiving his first misdemeanor charge, Alexis received five more misdemeanor charges. According to court records, West went over to Helen’s house, even though his prior conviction told him to stay away. Again, he was intoxicated and got into a verbal disagreement about a number that was on the phone bill.
He began picking up furniture and slamming it down, then armed himself with a hammer and began smashing things, court documents say. West had already fled the scene before their 11-year-old son could call the cops. When the police showed up, they headed right to the nightclub where they thought West would be located because of prior police investigations he’s had, but he wasn’t there, court documents say.
Court documents also say:
The next day, West’s son arrived home from school to find his father drinking alcohol, so he quick ran up to his room to avoid confrontation. Alexis grabbed some ceramic plates and followed his son up to his bedroom. West then fired the ceramic plates, but his son closed the door fast enough to not get hit, but then West pushed his way into his son’s room and began breaking things. The child fled to other rooms, but West followed him. West’s son then called the police and fled the house while he waited for them to show up. West was arrested and taken to the Milwaukee Police Department Professional Performance Division.
At the Professional Performance Division Headquarters, West allegedly became loud and boisterous, yelling obscenities in the hallway, according to the complaint filed. Lieutenant Yerkes attempted to calm West down, but he just kept shouting profanity at the Lieutenant. West then stated, “I’m gonna sue your (expletive).”
West then was conveyed to the Criminal Justice Facility, but still continued to be rowdy and disrespectful to the Milwaukee County Sheriff Department deputies. The deputies were then forced to restrain West, and his shoes and property were taken without his cooperation, causing quite a disturbance.
The criminal charges stemming from the incident were filed in March 2006.
West was ultimately convicted of five misdemeanors for this incident. But he was not ordered to serve any jail time.
In September 2006, he was sentenced to three years probation and stayed jail terms. His compliance with probation was reviewed last month, and the jail time remained stayed.
Helen Gary sent a letter into the court system asking the judge “to be lenient when sentencing Alex for this matter and to please give him one more chance.” Helen wanted to make it clear to the court system that “this incident involved no physical harm to me, just physical damage to “our” property in our home.” She also informed them that “he is a good person and a good police officer. He just had some personal issues that were too much to for him to handle.”
When contacted to be questioned, Helen Gary stated “I’m not interested in answering any questions.” In hopes to get West’s side of the story, his attorney, James Toran was called but did not return calls for comment.
According to West’s police personnel card, the force removed West from serving at District three in early summer of 2006 and assigned him to their personnel division. The chief ordered West terminated on June 15, 2006, according to Steve Fronk from Milwaukee’s Fire and Police Commission.
However, Fronk said West appealed to the board on June 22, 2006 because of Wisconsin’s state statute 62.50(13), which states, “Within ten days after the date of service of the notice of a discharge or suspension order the members so discharged or suspended may appeal from the order of discharge or suspension or discipline to the board of fire and police commissioners, by filing with the board a notice of appeal….”
The appeal hearing was conducted, but the decision was upheld and Alexis West was finally terminated.