Trial for Milwaukee man charged with shooting three Wauwatosa police officers moved to September

The Milwaukee Police Incident Command Post arrives at the  Radisson Hotel. in Wauwatosa, Wis. on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021.
The Milwaukee Police Incident Command Post arrives at the Radisson Hotel. in Wauwatosa, Wis. on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021.

The jury trial for a 33-year-old Milwaukee man charged with shooting three Wauwatosa police officers inside a Radisson Hotel last fall has been delayed until September so a ballistics report can be completed.

Kenneth Burney is charged with four counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, one count of reckless injury and two counts of a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the shootings, which occurred Nov. 6 inside the Radisson Hotel Milwaukee West, 2303 N. Mayfair Road.

A jury trial was set to begin Monday but Burney's attorney, Dianne Erickson, and Milwaukee County assistant district attorney Chad Wozniak agreed to adjourn the trial until the ballistics report could be completed.

Burney is scheduled to appear in court next on Aug. 5 for a pretrial hearing. The jury trial is scheduled to start Sept. 19.

The shooting

Wauwatosa police responded to the hotel at 10:33 p.m. Nov. 6 on a report of shots fired, according to a criminal complaint.

Officers were directed to the second floor and "located numerous firearm casings as well as unspent cartridges on the floor of the hallway," the complaint said. Officers also found "multiple bullet holes in the walls and ceiling," and soon began to search the floor room by room.

They had searched five rooms when they reached Room 221. No one responded, and they could not open the door with a room key.

Hotel staff told the officers the only way they would be unable to access the room with a key would be because of something blocking the door from the inside. After trying for eight minutes to get a response, officers began to use a battering ram.

"Immediately as the fifth (battering ram) strike hit the door, multiple gunshots rang out of room 221 into the officers," the complaint said.

Three Wauwatosa police officers were shot; all three survived. The complaint also said that at least two other officers were moments away from being in the line of fire near the door.

"Following the shooting, the sole-occupant of room 221 exited the room and was taken into custody," the complaint said.

Officers recovered a Glock semi-automatic handgun, a Hi-Point semi-automatic handgun and five spent 9mm casings in the room. Officers also recovered 116 pills, which tested positive for the party drug ecstasy.

Burney was charged Nov. 11 and a cash bail was set for him at $750,000.

He's also charged with one count of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance and two counts of bail jumping.

Burney's attorney declined to provide a comment when reached by a reporter Monday. May 16

Evan Casey can be reached at 414-403-4391 or evan.casey@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @ecaseymedia.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wauwatosa hotel shooting: jury trial moved to September