Civic Register
| 8.26.20
Trump & Evers Increase National Guard Presence to Quell Unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin After Protests of Police Shooting Turn Deadly
Do you support Trump and Evers increasing the National Guard presence in Kenosha?
What’s the story?
- Two people were killed and one injured following a shooting at a protest on Tuesday night in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which was rocked by the third straight night of civil unrest after the shooting of Jacob Blake by police officers on Sunday.
- An arrest of a 17 year old male was made in Illinois on Wednesday in connection with Tuesday night’s shooting, while President Donald Trump and Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced that they will increase the Wisconsin National Guard presence to help restore order as Kenosha braces for another potential night of unrest.
What happened in the shooting of Jacob Blake?
- Details surrounding the shooting of Blake, a 29 year old Black man, are still under investigation, but police audio shows that the incident occurred after officers were called to his address in response to a complaint of “family trouble” by a woman claiming Blake “isn’t supposed to be there and he took the complainant’s keys and is refusing to give them back.”
- Dispatch informed officers that there was an alert for a wanted person associated with that address, and that the woman who called police informed them Blake was attempting to leave. Blake was the subject of an arrest warrant issued in July on charges of disorderly conduct in connection with domestic abuse, third-degree sexual assault, and criminal trespass stemming from an incident with his ex-girlfriend that occurred in May. Officers attempted to arrest him, and he admitted he had a knife in his possession.
- A video shot by a bystander after the first two officers arrived shows that they and Blake were wrestling on the ground on the passenger side of a car after Blake was unsuccessfully tased. Another bystander’s video then showed three officers, two male and one female, with their guns drawn behind Blake as he walked from the sidewalk around the front of the SUV to the driver side. As Blake opened the door and attempted to enter, an officer grabbed his shirt from behind and shot him seven times. The Wisconsin DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation reported that a knife was recovered on the driver's side floorboard of the car. Three of Blake’s young sons were in the vehicle.
- After the shooting, officers rendered aid until an ambulance arrived, and Blake was taken to the hospital where he underwent several surgeries. He is currently paralyzed from the waist down, although doctors are unsure whether that will be permanent.
- The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, and the incident is under investigation by the Wisconsin Dept. of Justice and the federal DOJ.
What has happened since the officer-involved shooting?
- Protests erupted in Kenosha in the hours after the shooting, including an incident where a police officer appeared to be struck in the head with a brick and knocked unconscious after a Molotov cocktail exploded nearby.
- On Monday, Gov. Evers authorized 125 Wisconsin National Guard personnel to help protect critical infrastructure in Kenosha. Despite that, the unrest continued Monday night, when Kenosha fire officials said 37 fires were started at businesses and other structures, while emergency officials received multiple calls for traumatic injuries and multiple civilians with non-life threatening gunshot wounds, according to Fox 6 Milwaukee. One of those incidents was at a mattress store where a man in his 70s who was trying to extinguish the flames and stop looters was attacked by a rioter and received a broken jaw.
- On Tuesday, the Kenosha County Board sent a letter formally asking Gov. Evers to deploy a total of 1,500 Wisconsin National Guard in the city. Gov. Evers declared a state of emergency and increased the National Guard deployment to 250 personnel and according to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, declined assistance from federal law enforcement. Blake’s family held a press conference where his mother, Julia Jackson, said:
“As I was riding here in this city I noticed a lot of damage. It doesn’t reflect my son or my family. If Jacob knew what was going on as far as that goes, the violence and destruction, he would be very displeased… As I pray for my son’s healing physically, emotionally, and spiritually, I have also been praying, even before this, for the healing of our country.”
- The shooting in Kenosha on Tuesday night that left two dead and one with serious but non-life threatening injuries came as armed groups were on the streets to provide security for protesters and property alike. A 17 year old man was arrested on Wednesday in Antioch, Illinois, in connection with the shooting.
- On Wednesday, President Donald Trump and Gov. Evers announced that there would be additional federal support sent to Wisconsin to help restore order. Trump tweeted:
“We will NOT stand for looting, arson, violence, and lawlessness on American streets. My team just got off the phone with Governor Evers who agreed to accept federal assistance (Portland should do the same!)...TODAY, I will be sending federal law enforcement and the National Guard to Kenosha, WI to restore LAW and ORDER!”
- Evers announced that he authorized 500 Wisconsin National Guard personnel to assist state and local law enforcement in Kenosha in protecting critical infrastructure and maintaining public safety and the ability of people to peacefully protest.
— Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: Wisconsin National Guard photo by Sgt. John T. Clark / Creative Commons)
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