Chisholm clears Milwaukee police of any wrongdoing in the in-custody death of Queivonta Moffett
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm's office announced Friday that the Milwaukee Police Department has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the in-custody death of 27-year-old Queivonta Moffett in 2021.
A clearance letter from Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern addressed to Police Chief Jeffrey Norman says that officers "responded immediately and appropriately to (Moffett's) emerging medical needs."
Ascension St. Francis Hospital released Moffett back into police custody during the early morning hours of Dec. 9 after it was determined his vital signs were normal, Lovern said.
Moffett was arrested on Dec. 8, 2021, in the 1600 block of South Cesar Chavez Drive. He was pulled over after the department received information he was engaging in drug activity, according to police.
However, during the "Community Briefing" footage release last year, police told Moffett he was being pulled over for failing to use his turn signal. An officer asked Moffett to step out of the car after asking for his identification. The officer then mentions what was believed to be cocaine in Moffett's lap.
Police later recovered more cocaine and drug paraphernalia from his vehicle and person, Lovern said.
Moffett was taken to District Two police station. Later that evening, Moffett began to show signs of illness. According to Lovern, officers repeatedly asked Moffett if he consumed any drugs, to which he initially indicated he had not, but eventually admitted to swallowing bags of cocaine. Medical assistance was called for at 11:43 p.m., Lovern said.
Moffett's vital signs were normal, but a police sergeant insisted Moffett should be transported to Ascension St. Francis Hospital, Lovern said. Moffett was admitted to the hospital by 12:05 a.m., according to the letter.
According to Lovern, first responders told hospital personnel that Moffett admitted to ingesting bags of cocaine, adding that the cocaine may contain fentanyl. "The hospital kept Moffett under observation until discharging him back to the custody of MPD at 2:28 a.m. Moffett was then returned to the District 2 station where he was placed in a holding cell," he said.
Roughly three hours later, Moffett said he wasn't feeling well again so an officer gave him some food to eat, Lovern said. At roughly 5:38 a.m., Moffett suffered a seizure in his cell, officers responded, and called for medical assistance again, Lovern said.
Moffett was transported to Froedtert Hospital, where a CT scan revealed the presence of bags of cocaine in his stomach, according to the letter.
Moffett suffered cardiac arrest, and medical personnel removed three bags of cocaine from his stomach, including one that still contained cocaine, Lovern said. Despite medical intervention, Moffett was declared dead at 9:47 a.m.
According to an autopsy report, Moffett died from acute methamphetamine intoxication after consuming a lethal quantity of methamphetamine.
"The officers at District 2 immediately and appropriately obtained emergency medical assistance for Moffett, through the Milwaukee Fire Department and local hospitals. My office has completed its review of this matter and will take no further action," Lovern said.
Contact Drake Bentley at (414) 391-5647 or DBentley1@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DrakeBentleyMJS.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Police cleared of wrongdoing in death of Queivonta Moffett
