Milwaukee Police, Protest Clash: 5 Things You Need to Know
A supposed peaceful protest turned into a violent riot in Milwaukee. It resulted into a suspect being killed, an police officer severely injured and a blazing inferno. The incident erupted after the police fatally shot a 23-year old man brandishing a semi-automatic handgun on Saturday afternoon. Investigators said that around 100 protesters immediately rushed to the scene of shooting chanting "black power".
1. Prelude to a Disaster
Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke has warned since July that the tension in several Milwaukee areas are brewing into a volatile situation. Particular riots can be traced since two years ago from anti-cop sentiments called "black lives matter." Some riots even resulted into the murder of eight police officers of the same month.
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A certain Tory Lowe who identified himself as "community activist" said that negative perception against officers resulted from frequent cases of black men subjected into inhumane treatment. Lowe also laments Brandon Johnson, Corey Stingley, Derek Williams, Donte Hamilton and James Perry as black men killed during police-civilian conflicts.
2. Violent Saturday
The whole Saturday riot can be traced from a shootout at around 3:30 p.m. following a foot chase when a cop spotted two armed suspects in a car somewhere in between N. 44th and W. Auer Avenue.
The unnamed officer cut the chase and ordered one suspect to drop his weapon but was fatally shot in the chest after he refused. His companion was subdued and later brought to the police station.
3. Suspect Identity
The identity of the suspect still remains sketchy as of press time even though there are people claiming as family members and named him as Sylville Smith.
Milwaukee Police Captain Mark Stanmeyer, however, neither confirmed nor denied that the suspect shot was Smith. Although he did not provide any details about the previous records of the suspect, Stanmeyer said that there are numerous complaints against the suspect before. Stanmeyer added that they traced the gun used by the suspect from Waukesha town, taken together with 500 rounds of ammunition from a burglary incident.
4. Collateral Damage
Apart from the cop that was brought to the hospital because of a severe injury after being hit by a brick in the head, several properties were also damaged by the rioters. Two police cars are reported torched along with a car supply and parts shop, a gas station and a nearby bank. Reports said that the responding firefighters had difficulty containing the fire for fear of safety since there are several gunshots heard nearby the inferno.
5. Pacifying the Rage
Several individuals and county officials tried to pacify the protesters, including a woman who identified herself as the victim's mother pleading the protesters to go home and avoid further violence but to no avail.
Even the Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett also appealed to the parents to look after their children. He also urged the parents to tell their children to not bring their issues and concerns against the police in the streets. He also assured the public that the officers are moving cautiously as well as implementing maximum tolerance.
Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Department of Justice has already mandated the Criminal Investigation Division to conduct a thorough probe of the incident to assure the public that the case will not be taken lightly. Also, any result will also be submitted to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office for review.
