Police Warn of Escalation of Force as Wisconsin Protests Continue

Protests continue in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and 28 arrests have been made. The Police Department warns they are seeing the force escalate.

This is the fourth night of protests after a grand jury declined to indict the police officer who shot and killed 17-year-old Alvin Cole.

The Associated Press reports police used tear gas and arrested 28 people on Saturday.

Wauwatosa police

Night 1 – 10/7
• Throwing rocks, bricks, and bottles at law enforcement officers
• Broke windows at businesses and threw bricks into windows of homes
• Looting stores in Milwaukee
• Using all lanes of traffic, blocking intersections, and speeds in excess of 80 mph

— Wauwatosa Police (WI) (@WauwatosaPD) October 10, 2020

“>said they had been monitoring a group of demonstrators but at about 7 p.m., protestors used vehicles to block all the lanes of W. North Avenue at Wauwatosa Avenue. Law enforcement closed the streets and redirected traffic.

Around 7:40 p.m., demonstrators at City Hall were

Demonstrators have occupied the lawn on City Hall property for nearly an hour, and have been in violation of the emergency curfew order since 7:00 PM. At 7:40 PM, law enforcement declared the group an unlawful assembly. Announcements have been given to the group.<">warned that they had been declared an unlawful assembly. Protesters were in violation of the 7 p.m. curfew.

The Wauwatosa Police Department tweeted on Saturday afternoon, “Over the past three nights, we have seen an escalation in force by the protesters.”

Night 1 – 10/7


• Throwing rocks, bricks, and bottles at law enforcement officers


• Broke windows at businesses and threw bricks into windows of homes


• Looting stores in Milwaukee


• Using all lanes of traffic, blocking intersections, and speeds in excess of 80 mph

— Wauwatosa Police (WI) (@WauwatosaPD) October 10, 2020

Night 2 – 10/8


• Pointing a gun at a law enforcement officer


• Trapped civilian (non-protestors) in their vehicles and had to be rescued by law enforcement


• Attempted looting of business in Milwaukee


• Multiple instances of reckless driving and blocking all lanes of traffic

— Wauwatosa Police (WI) (@WauwatosaPD) October 10, 2020

Night 3 – 10/9


• Protestors have Molotov cocktails and other fire starting supplies


• Guns spotted in the protest crowd


• Throwing rocks and bottles at law enforcement officers


• Broke windows at a business


• Reckless driving, blocking intersections

— Wauwatosa Police (WI) (@WauwatosaPD) October 10, 2020

The Wauwatosa Police Department said that people were asking questions about their responses over the last three nights. “For example, why are we concerned about bottles being thrown at us?”

People are asking us valid questions about our police responses over the last three nights. For example, why are we concerned about bottles being thrown at us? pic.twitter.com/CUpLg8yhvs

— Wauwatosa Police (WI) (@WauwatosaPD) October 10, 2020

They explained, “These materials (bottles with flammable fluids, toilet paper, and lighter fluid) can be used to start fires. This is also known as a Molotov cocktail.”

Breitbart Texas reported that Milwaukee County District Attorney John T. Chisholm said on Wednesday, “I do not believe that the State could disprove self-defense or defense of others in this case and therefore could not meet the burden required to charge Officer Mensah.”

Lana Shadwick is a writer and legal analyst for Breitbart News. She is a trial lawyer who previously served as a prosecutor and family court associate judge in Texas. You can reach Shadwick at Lana@LanaShadwick.com.