Michael Bell’s son was killed by the Kenosha, Wisconsin, police in 2004. He’s spent the past two decades advocating for reform and fighting to expose what he alleges is a cover up of what really happened to his son. Bell recently filed a claim with the Wisconsin Crime Victim’s Rights Board, arguing that his family was the victim of a police cover up. The board ruled that if there was a crime, the victim wasn’t Bell or his family, but rather the State of Wisconsin. Bell is fighting the ruling in a court battle that may determine whether people who suffer from police misconduct are crime victims.
On assignment for The Marshall Project / News Inside.
Michael Sr. clicks through photos of his son on his computer.
The driveway where Michael Jr. was arrested and subsequently shot and killed.