Suspect Shot By Brentwood Cop Had Phone, Not Gun

Suspect Shot By Brentwood Cop Had Phone, Not Gun



(Bay City News) BRENTWOOD A multi-agency investigation into an officer-involved shooting outside a Brentwood bank last week has revealed that the suspect was carrying a cell phone, not a firearm, when he was shot.

Off-duty Alameda County Undersheriff Mike Peterson shot Maurice Milligan, 30, twice after Milligan conducted a "takeover-style" robbery at the Wells Fargo Bank at 1115 Second St. on Aug. 31.

Investigators from the Brentwood Police Department, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office and the Contra Costa County District Attorney's office are conducting the investigation.

Investigators said bank surveillance cameras do not clearly establish whether Milligan was armed.

Following the robbery, the undersheriff followed the suspect out of the bank to arrest him, according to authorities.

During an encounter outside, the undersheriff identified himself as a peace officer and ordered Milligan to "drop the gun," according to investigators. The suspect reportedly turned away from the officer, bended slightly and reached toward his waist area.

Peterson, believing Milligan was reaching for the gun he thought was used during the robbery, fired three shots, two of which hit and killed Milligan, according to investigators.

Officers searched the suspect and found a cell phone but no firearm. A search of the bank and the surrounding area also did not turn up a gun.

Police then searched a home where Milligan had been staying and found two firearms, an AK-47 and a rifle. The home's owner, a friend of Milligan, told investigators that the suspect also had a 9mm handgun. That handgun has not been found.

Peterson was placed on three days' paid administrative, which is mandatory for all sheriff's personnel involved in shooting incidents, according to the Alameda County Sheriff's Office.

(Bay City News)