DOJ sends 200 federal officers to Kenosha amid violence
The Department of Justice is sending 200 agents to respond to the unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, over the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake.
The American Civil Liberties Union is calling for the "immediate resignation" of Kenosha, Wis., law enforcement officials over the police shooting of a Black man over the weekend that sparked fatal protests and riots.
In a statement, the ACLU of Wisconsin and its national affiliate called for Kenosha police Chief Daniel Miskinis and Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth to step down.
“The ACLU strongly condemns Sheriff Beth and police Chief Miskinis’ response to both the attempted murder of Jacob Blake and the protests demanding justice for him," said Chris Ott, executive director of the ACLU of Wisconsin. "Their actions uphold and defend white supremacy, while demonizing people who were murdered for exercising their first amendment rights and speaking out against police violence."
Beth and Miskinis have been criticized for the response to demonstrations over the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man shot multiple times by a white Kenosha police officer on Sunday. Blake was paralyzed after Officer Rusten Sheskey fired seven times, striking Blake in the back during a response to a domestic dispute.
KENOSHA SHOOTING VICTIM RECOVERING FROM SURGERY IN MILWAUKEE
An explosive device detonates as a protester pushes back on an armored vehicle clearing the park of demonstrators during clashes outside the Kenosha County Courthouse, late Tuesday in Kenosha, Wis. Protests continue following the police shooting of Jacob Blake two days earlier. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting, which ignited a backlash against the police and sparked protests that devolved into violence for three consecutive nights.
The chaos hit a flashpoint Tuesday night when two people were shot dead and another was injured. Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, of Illinois, faces charges of first-degree homicide.
The ACLU said sheriff's deputies fraternized with "white supremacist counter-protesters" Tuesday and allowed Rittenhouse to leave as others said he was the shooter. The organization also accused Miskinis of blaming the victims for their deaths by violating the city's curfew.
The ACLU noted that Beth was criticized last year for a statement that he made about five people of color who were arrested for suspected shoplifting.
“I have no issue with these five people completely disappearing," Beth said during a 2018 news conference. "At (this) point, these people are no longer an asset to our community, and they just need to disappear.”
He issued a public apology for his remarks a week later.
If Beth and Miskinis refuse to resign, the ACLU is calling for Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian to demand Beth's removal and the dismissal of Miskinis.
During a Thursday news conference, Beth said Wednesday night's demonstrations were mostly peaceful.
"A huge part of me thinks that a lot of our issues start when different people with different agendas come here to Kenosha," he said while sitting alongside Miskinis, Antaramian and other leaders.
Police clash with protesters near the Kenosha County Courthouse, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
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Maj. Gen. Paul Knapp of the Wisconsin National Guard said soldiers from Arizona, Alabama and Michigan will deploy to Kenosha to assist local law enforcement.
"I'd like to emphasize that our mission here is to protect life safety here in the community and bring back, bring back peace," Knapp said.
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