KENOSHA, Wis. — Police and rioters in Kenosha, Wis., clashed for a second night Monday following the shooting of a Black man that touched off civil unrest similar to that in other cities across the country.
Officers deployed tear gas in an attempt to disperse a crowd outside the Kenosha County courthouse. Gov. Tony Evers deployed 125 Guard members to the city in an effort to prevent the kind of violence and vandalism that occurred in the city on Sunday night, Fox News reported.
Multiple fires were reported across the city late Monday night. Stephanie Haines, a reporter for TMJ4, reported that downtown Kenosha is filled with smoke.
Several massive fires in downtown #Kenosha. The city is filled with smoke.
Photojournalist Tamott Wolverton shot this video. pic.twitter.com/ekFS89aSdj
— Stephanie Haines (@TMJ4Stephanie) August 25, 2020
The riots continued overnight, as video appeared to show a car dealership in Kenosha being looted, while others stomped on cars and pulled down street lights. Earlier, a furniture store was looted and set on fire. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections building was also reportedly set ablaze, according to local reports on Twitter.
This is the new normal. Rioters destroy car dealership in Kenosha. pic.twitter.com/BN92PFTzGr
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 25, 2020
Rioters in Kenosha are pulling down street lights and stomping on cars. pic.twitter.com/rK2NE6huvh
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 25, 2020
Several businesses in the city’s Uptown district were fully engulfed in flames by 1 a.m., which one New York Times reporter called “Just a horrible scene.”
Several businesses burning in #Kenosha’s Uptown district. Just a horrible scene. pic.twitter.com/n0Dph0Xg7R
— Julie Bosman (@juliebosman) August 25, 2020
In another video, a protester was allegedly heard arguing how: “the value of property has nothing to do with the value of life.”
WARNING GRAPHIC LANGUAGE
"F*** you, you ain't with us" woman yells at armed man who is attempting to stop the mob from looting and vandalizing #Kenosha businesses pic.twitter.com/FkDlqz9w4N
— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) August 25, 2020
An 8 p.m. curfew was imposed and exit ramps off Interstate 94 from the Illinois state line into Kenosha County were closed Monday night, blocked off by police vehicles and trucks in some places.
BREAKING: national guard officially deployed on the streets of Kenosha pic.twitter.com/HMSb1MDGj2
— ELIJAH RIOT (@ElijahSchaffer) August 25, 2020
Protesters chanted “No Justice, No Peace,” minutes before the curfew went into effect and ignored orders to go home. Some officers were targeted with water bottles and other objects but it was not clear if anyone was injured.
The anger comes after the shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man who was shot Sunday during an encounter with Kenosha police. Officers were initially called to a domestic dispute. At one point, a non-compliant Blake leaned into an SUV and an officer fired several rounds, reports said.
The Department of Corrections building in Kenosha is completely ablaze. pic.twitter.com/ugC6hBtSMz
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 25, 2020
Blake was hit in the back and hospitalized in serious condition. The encounter was captured on cellphone video.
Here is the scene at #Kenosha as we approach 10 pm local time pic.twitter.com/14nhrsr3St
— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) August 25, 2020
Dr. Ron Martinelli, a highly regarded forensic criminologist and author of “The Truth Behind the Black Lives Matter Movement and the War on Police,” shared the following preliminary perspective on the shooting with Law Officer:
I have now reviewed the only video we have about 12X. Here is the forensic analysis so far in seconds.
Entire videotape from start to first shot fired is 7 secs.
At 4 secs, as Blake walks around the front of the grey SUV he appears to place his left hand into his waistband just as he gets near the closed drivers side door.
At 5 secs, Blake appears to move his right hand into his waistband as he is facing away from the shooting officer.
At 5 secs., in response, the initial shooting officer grabs Blake’s shirt with his left support hand while pointing a gun at Blake’s back with his right (gun) hand. At this point, Blake opens the car door away from the officer and is actively pulling away from the officer.
At 6 secs, Blake continues to be pulling away from the restraining officer as he enters the drivers’ side door.
At 7 secs, Blake is observed to be bending down low as he enters the SUV. His body movements in bending low is inconsistent with how a normal person would enter a vehicle to sit in the driver’s seat.
At 7 secs, in response to Blake bending low inside the vehicle, the restraining officer begins shooting Blake.
Key notes here:
The video does not depict the encounter or any resistance between Blake and the two officers from the point he began walking around the front of the SUV.
The shooting officer(s) had one second or less to make a deadly force decision based upon his observations and experiences with Blake which were definitely furtive, suspicious, resistive and threatening to the officers.
Civilians and analysts need to review the totality of the circumstances from the standpoint of officers dealing with Blake and experiencing his resistance, his suspicious and furtive movement, his abnormal physical resistance to their efforts to restrain him, and their law enforcement education, training and experience.
25% of all officers shot/killed are killed during vehicle stops and encounters with people inside vehicles.
25% of all officers shot/killed are killed during domestic violence calls. This was a domestic violence call.
Obviously more information and evidence are needed. I caution people not to try to 20/20 hindsight, armchair quarterback this incident. Wait until all of the facts are in to make more informed decisions.
Activists and many Democrats have already condemned the officers.
Republicans and the police union accused the politicians of rushing to judgment, reflecting the deep partisan divide in Wisconsin, a key presidential battleground state. Wisconsin GOP members also decried the violent protests, echoing the law-and-order theme that President Trump has projected during his campaign.
“As always, the video currently circulating does not capture all the intricacies of a highly dynamic incident,” Pete Deates, president of the Kenosha police union, said in a statement.
