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Tony Lopez

Age : 20

Gender : Male

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 04/23/2021

Location : 500 E Burleigh Street

City : Milwaukee

County : Milwaukee

State : Wisconsin

Agency : Milwaukee Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Passengerkilled by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

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REASON FOR CHASE: Passenger killed during reckless-driving pursuit
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NARRATIVE:
On 04/23/2021 shortly after 11:15 p.m., Tony Lopez, 20, was riding with 22-year-old Lucas Rigden in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood. Lopez and Rigden were friends and members of a Milwaukee-area car club.
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Milwaukee police officers in a marked squad saw their vehicle traveling at excessive speed and described the driving as extremely reckless. Officers attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle continued and police initiated a pursuit. Police subsequently said the pursuit was terminated because of the excessive speed.
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At approximately 11:19 p.m., the driver lost control in the 500 block of East Burleigh Street near Booth Street and crashed into a tree. Lopez and Rigden both sustained fatal injuries. No other injuries were reported.
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Friends began gathering at the crash site within minutes and created a roadside memorial for Lopez and Rigden. They returned every day to mourn them and raise money for their funerals. Friend Hannah Swan described the two men as “the smile of the MKE family.”
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On 04/29/2021, Milwaukee police referred complaints about the memorial to the Department of Public Works, which removed it. Friends were angered by the removal and rebuilt the memorial, saying they would continue replacing it if the city removed it again.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Milwaukee Police Department did not publicly identify the officers in the marked squad that initiated the pursuit.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.fox6now.com/news/mpd-reckless-driving-leaves-2-dead-in-riverwest-crash
https://www.cbs58.com/news/officials-reckless-driving-crash-in-milwaukees-riverwest-neighborhood-leaves-2-dead
https://www.fox6now.com/news/milwaukee-reckless-driving-crash-memorial-removed
https://www.fox6now.com/video/925731