Milwaukee City Attorney Defends Police Misconduct Settlements

Police union criticizes Goyke's office over costly payouts and missed legal deadlines

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Milwaukee's city attorney is facing scrutiny from the police union over his office's handling of police misconduct cases, including several multimillion-dollar settlements and missed legal deadlines. City Attorney Evan Goyke has defended the settlements as ethical and fiscally responsible, while the police union has questioned the competence of his office's legal representation of officers.

Why it matters

The dispute between the city attorney's office and the police union highlights the ongoing tensions around police accountability and the financial costs of police misconduct in Milwaukee. The city has a long history of costly settlements in these types of cases, which are ultimately paid for by taxpayers.

The details

The police union, led by President Alex Ayala, criticized Goyke's office over several high-profile cases, including a $2.5 million settlement in the death of Keishon Thomas, a 20-year-old who died of a drug overdose while in police custody. The union also pointed to a $180,000 settlement in the case of Sedric Smith, who was stabbed by a man police failed to disarm. Additionally, an assistant city attorney missed a deadline in Smith's case, leading to a settlement. Goyke acknowledged the error in the Smith case and said his office has implemented improvements to prevent similar issues.

  • In 2024, Evan Goyke began a four-year term as Milwaukee's city attorney.
  • In 2022, Keishon Thomas died of a drug overdose while in police custody for about 16 hours.
  • In 2024, Sedric Smith filed a lawsuit after being stabbed by a man police failed to disarm, and an assistant city attorney missed a response deadline in the case.

The players

Evan Goyke

The current city attorney for Milwaukee, who has defended his office's handling of police misconduct cases and settlements.

Alex Ayala

The president of the Milwaukee Police Association, the police union that has criticized Goyke's office over the police misconduct settlements.

Keishon Thomas

A 20-year-old Milwaukee man who died of a drug overdose while in police custody in 2022, leading to a $2.5 million settlement.

Sedric Smith

A hospital security guard who was stabbed by a man police failed to disarm, leading to a $180,000 settlement after an assistant city attorney missed a response deadline.

Mark Thomsen

The attorney who represented Keishon Thomas and Isaiah Taylor in cases against the city, and criticized the police union's defense of the officers involved.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“It is not clear to us whether the City Attorney's Office currently has a litigator with sufficient expertise or competence to actually litigate complex civil rights cases through jury trial.”

— Alex Ayala, President, Milwaukee Police Association (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

“As an elected office, the City Attorney is accountable to the voters and has a professional obligation to provide independent, objective legal advice to City officials and departments. Our attorneys make decisions based on the law, the facts and their ethical duties. We are charged with providing our clients with the highest level of legal service, and I am confident we meet that standard.”

— Evan Goyke, City Attorney, Milwaukee (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

“The Milwaukee Police Association should not be defending officers and former officers that pled guilty or were found responsible for their criminal conduct. The reputational harm to the Milwaukee police officers were the result of the officer's criminal conduct, not the resolution of a case.”

— Mark Thomsen, Attorney (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

What’s next

The judge in the Sedric Smith case will decide on Tuesday whether to allow the $180,000 settlement to move forward.

The takeaway

This dispute highlights the ongoing challenges Milwaukee faces in balancing police accountability and the financial costs of police misconduct settlements, which are ultimately paid for by taxpayers. The city attorney's office must navigate these complex issues while maintaining public trust and upholding ethical legal practices.