A Milwaukee police officer was injured early Sunday after illegal fireworks exploded near Brady Street, knocking the officer to the ground as officers responded to a disturbance in one of the city's busy entertainment districts, as reported by WISN.

The incident occurred shortly after midnight near the intersection of Brady Street and Warren Avenue, where police had been called as Fourth of July weekend celebrations continued into the early morning hours.

According to witnesses, officers arrived at the scene and began moving toward a parking lot near Brady and Warren when fireworks suddenly erupted.

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One officer sprinted into the parking lot moments before an explosion knocked her to the ground. Witnesses said the officer immediately grabbed her face while lying on the pavement as people nearby rushed to help.

“This is the very parking lot near Brady and Warren where that officer was knocked completely to the ground,” a witness said. “Almost immediately, dozens of people tried to help.”

Among those who assisted were Flacko Shahin and his wife, who said they had just parked nearby with plans to get hot dogs from a local restaurant before the situation changed dramatically.

According to Shahin, fireworks had already been going off before the officer was injured, with some of the debris striking his vehicle.

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“Our car has burn marks from the first set of fireworks that went off,” Shahin said. “That was like the fun, and then it turned dangerous.”

After witnessing the officer go down, Shahin said he worked to get the attention of other responding officers.

He said law enforcement personnel quickly reached the injured officer and carried her out of the parking lot while additional fireworks continued exploding nearby.

Authorities have not released details regarding the extent of the officer's injuries, but the incident prompted concern from residents and witnesses who questioned how the situation escalated despite a police presence in the area.

Community activist Tracey Dent expressed disappointment over what happened, saying the incident demonstrated ongoing public safety concerns.

“It is sad that that happened,” Dent said. “Why does Brady Street need policing and security, and still this happened?”

Dent also encouraged members of the public to assist investigators by reporting anyone responsible for the incident.

“That is why you have Crime Stoppers,” Dent said. “It is an anonymous tip line. You can make those phone calls and tell who did what.”

Shahin described how quickly the atmosphere changed from a holiday celebration into a dangerous situation.

“It got like really dangerous, like really quick,” he said. “The whole night just took a turn. We didn’t even get our hot dogs that we came for.”

Despite the frightening experience, Shahin said he does not intend to stay away from Brady Street in the future, although he plans to be more aware of his surroundings during future visits.

The incident occurred during the Independence Day holiday weekend, when many cities across the country experienced large crowds and increased calls for service related to fireworks and other disturbances.

Milwaukee police have not announced any arrests connected to the incident, and authorities have not identified any suspects.

Investigators also have not released additional information regarding how the illegal fireworks were obtained or who ignited them.

The investigation remains ongoing as police work to determine who was responsible for the explosion that injured the officer.

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