SHEBOYGAN – A jury found Tommie Dixon guilty of attempting to kill a Sheboygan police officer in a 2024 officer-involved shooting.
On the third day of trial May 28, the jury found Dixon, 25, guilty of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, disarming a peace officer, obstructing an officer and three counts of bail jumping in connection with the Sept. 8, 2024, incident.
During the trial, the parties did not dispute that Dixon was out on bond in three separate cases, each with conditions that he not commit any new crimes.
Sheboygan officers had responded to a call about a person waving a gun near Knowles Chiropractic, 1509 N. 13th St. After officers arrived and asked Dixon questions about his identity, Dixon disarmed Officer Alison Meyer, and Officer Marcus Renzelmann shot Dixon several times.
The trial resumed Thursday with closing arguments from the prosecution and defense. The jury began deliberating around 10:15 a.m. and returned a verdict after about two hours. The trial began May 26.
District Attorney Joel Urmanski declined to comment for this story. Dixon’s attorneys and family could not immediately be reached for comment.
Sheboygan police shooting case: Tommie Dixon trial background
The criminal complaint said Renzelmann believed Dixon was about to shoot the two officers on Sept. 8, 2024.
Dixon’s family has said the officer shot him eight times. Dixon was taken to a local hospital and later flown to HSHS St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay for surgery. Sheboygan police said both officers were placed on administrative leave.
Court records describe conflicting accounts of the encounter. Prosecutors alleged Dixon grabbed an officer’s gun and intended to kill the officers. Dixon has said he acted out of fear because he believed police were going to shoot him.
Dixon had pleaded not guilty to all charges in the case.
Tommie Dixon trial closing arguments focus on intent to kill officer
As discussed in opening arguments, the focus of both the prosecution and defense was whether Dixon intended to kill Renzelmann after he disarmed Meyer.
Both parties returned to that question during closing arguments.
Urmanski replayed frame-by-frame footage from Renzelmann’s squad car and body camera that had been shown during the trial, including a partial view of Dixon in possession of Meyer’s holster and firearm and the moments after, when Dixon was shot several times by Renzelmann. He directed jurors’ attention to details he alleged showed Dixon tried to kill Renzelmann, including the position of Dixon’s body and the gun as he moved backward from the officers and then fell to the ground after being shot.
“A picture is worth a thousand words,” Urmanski said, repeating a phrase he used Tuesday. He said he wanted the jury to consider all of the evidence in the case, including the videos.
Urmanski also discussed Dixon giving Renzelmann and Meyer false information about his identity and comments he made to the West Bend Police Department during a hospital interview about the incident.
Urmanski said Dixon told West Bend police that if he had gotten the gun out of the holster, he would have shot Renzelmann. Kirk Obear, one of Dixon’s attorneys, disputed that characterization and said Dixon did not make that statement.
Obear said Lt. Thomas Lichtensteiger led the discussion with Dixon, who had been shot multiple times less than 24 hours earlier and was essentially agreeing with leading questions.
He played the videos again for the jury without the frame-by-frame delay, showing the confrontation between Dixon and Renzelmann lasting several seconds. He said Urmanski’s frame-by-frame narration did not reflect what happened.
“Is this somebody who’s making a deliberate, intentional attempt to kill Officer Renzelmann, or is he flailing after being shot, or while being shot multiple times, while in the air, on the way down and on the ground?” Obear asked the jury, arguing Dixon’s movements were reactions to being shot, not calculated decisions.
Juror who fell asleep during Tommie Dixon trial excused from deliberations
The juror who briefly fell asleep for possibly 10 minutes during Day 2 of the trial was excused from deliberations. Another juror was randomly selected and also excused to narrow the panel to 12.
Tommie Dixon sentencing scheduled for July 24 after Sheboygan trial verdict
Judge Rebecca Persick rescinded Dixon’s bond.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 24. Ryan Dicke, one of Dixon’s attorneys, requested a presentence investigation. A PSI report, conducted by a probation officer, will contain information about a current case and an individual’s criminal history, family, employment and other background information to help inform the court with sentencing. The report will provide a sentencing recommendation.
Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan jury finds Tommie Dixon guilty in police shooting case
Reporting by Alex Garner, Sheboygan Press / Sheboygan Press
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