Milwaukee commission upholds misconduct findings, reduces officer’s suspension to 5 days per count

The Milwaukee Fire & Police Commission on July 1 sustained charges that Officer Jason Giannada failed to conduct a thorough investigation of a domestic‑violence call and failed to make a mandatory arrest, but the commission reduced the penalty to five working days of suspension without pay on each count, for a total of 10 working days.

Hearing examiner Dennis Maroney opened the hearing and confirmed the parties had stipulated to waive Phase 1 and to play body‑worn camera footage from April 8, 2023, involving a response to 5734 West Helena Street. Assistant City Attorney Catherine Headley told commissioners that the department presented charging documents and comparables and asked the commission to uphold the chief’s original aggregate sanction of 14 days (seven days per count).

The case centered on two episodes in April 2023. Assistant Chief Craig Sarno, testifying for the department, said Internal Affairs presented the investigation and charging documents to the chief after a supervisor followed up with hospital staff on April 11 and determined the victim had been hospitalized. Sarno said investigators found sufficient evidence to sustain violations of Code of Conduct Guiding Principle 104 (failure to investigate) and SOP 1‑14‑10 (mandatory arrest for qualifying domestic‑violence offenses). Sarno cited the discipline matrix and past comparables that, in the chief’s practice, produced suspensions in the 5–10 day range for similar domestic‑violence failures to investigate.

Giannada, who waived the phase‑one hearing and agreed he violated the cited rules, testified he could have conducted a more thorough on‑scene inquiry, that he missed information his partner later obtained, and that he accepted some responsibility. He said he had worked for the Milwaukee Police Department since 2016 and described community involvement and prior service. Union representative Danilo Cardenas urged the commission to treat discipline individually and noted that comparable cases sometimes resulted in lighter sanctions where officers did not share the same information at the time.

In closing, the city argued the aggregate 14‑day suspension reasonably reflected the seriousness of the violation and Giannada’s opportunity to have intervened earlier; the appellant’s counsel asked commissioners to weigh proportionality, Giannada’s service record and the absence of bad faith.

The commission moved into closed session to consider penalty and, by majority vote, sustained the discipline findings but modified the penalty to five working days suspension without pay for each count (total 10 working days). The hearing record reflects a 2–1 majority for the sustained and modified discipline; the minority recommended a lesser split (an official reprimand for count 1 and four days for count 2). The commission waived the 10‑day notice period for releasing the written decision; parties were advised of appeal rights under Wisconsin statute 62.50.

The commission’s written findings and the time to appeal will be provided to the parties under the procedures described at the hearing.