City Denies Police Brutality Insurance Claim

Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect a correction; charges have been filed against Wisth and the issue is pending in the courts.

A Mequon man with a history of protesting will not get anything from Port Washington in connection with an alleged police brutality incident after the city denied his claim on Tuesday.

Bill Wisth, 54, said Port Washington police beat him up during an arrest in September following an attempted confrontation with his son, who he said owed him money.

Port's insurance company — EMC Insurance Companies of Brookfield — submitted a request to the city to deny Wisth's claim, saying, "We do not see any negligence on the part of the City of Port Washington." Aldermen unanimously approved the denial on Tuesday.

A voicemail left with EMC seeking any further explanation was not returned; Patch was unable to find any working phone numbers to contact Wisth.

"All three of them grabbed me and threw me down on the hood of the car," Wisth had told Patch in September referring to Port police officers in his claim of brutality. "These people are beating me up — all I (wanted) was to check on my son."

Law enforcement officials denied his accusations, saying Wisth was "uncooperative" and threatened his son. Wisth is facing charges of disorderly conduct and resisting an officer, and is set to appear in court next at 8:45 a.m. Feb. 13.

Wisth had made the news just a few months earlier than this incident for protesting Chuck's Place in Thiensville, after the restaurant had cut off his all-you-can-eat supply, according to WTMJ4. Restaurant workers say Wisth had eaten 12 pieces and was given eight more for the road in hopes he would leave, according to JSOnline.com, but he called police — and came back protesting two days later.