Earlier on Sunday, I had a breaking story on a shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, of an African-American man by one or more white police officers who responded to a report of a domestic disturbance. Details on that call are still unresolved, but a resident of a house across the street from the incident captured the shooting in a video about 20 seconds in length.
Here is that video:
WARNING: this video is extremely graphic.
Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin appear to shoot a man seven times in the back at point blank range after he ignores commands. We’re no other non-lethal methods considered, @KenoshaPolice?
pic.twitter.com/dO4VimGCky— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) August 24, 2020
Kenosha is on the shore of Lake Michigan, just north of the border between Wisconsin and Illinois. It is roughly halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee. It has a population of approximately 100,000 residents, and a police force of only 185 officers. That is to cover three shifts, so the number of officers available on any one shift is no more than about 90.
Community tension with the police over the shooting mounted very quickly as darkness fell. Videos are now starting to hit Twitter of protests that have been underway for hours, and the inability of the local police — Kenosha PD and Kenosha Sheriffs Deputies — to deal with the problem.
Kenosha is a city that is 83% white, and only 8% African-American. The incident is going to spark serious racial animosity due to the very small percentage of the population that is African-American, yet it is an African-American male who is on the receiving end of 8 shots.
What started as only demonstrations early in the evening progressed to vandalism, wide-spread property destruction, and looting. The local police were simply too few in number to stop the violence without resorting to deadly force which they did not do.
TW: Protests have broken out at the scene where a man was shot point-blank by police in Kenosha, WI, US. Molotovs and bricks were thrown at police, at least one cop severely injured after being hit with a brick. Several cop cars damaged. pic.twitter.com/YvsRQLUE3Y
— Anonymous (@YourAnonCentral) August 24, 2020
https://twitter.com/i/status/1297805463980052481
Black Lives Matter rioters in Kenosha burn down a Italian restaurant. pic.twitter.com/I1xlEXrQZw
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 24, 2020
Kenosha pic.twitter.com/qwzyOhC24z
— Maria Viti Teleporter Extraordinar (@selfdeclaredref) August 24, 2020
Trucks set on fire in Kenosha riots. pic.twitter.com/TFhB0AkIRA
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 24, 2020
It is uncertain whether the person in this video is a protester, or someone who is prepared to defend his home from protesters should they come his way.
The rioters have rifles in Kenosha. pic.twitter.com/gQXSjiCwbn
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 24, 2020
According to Ian Miles Cheong, the rioters have left the area where the shooting took place, and are now doing property damage, including at the Kenosha County Courthouse.
Kenosha courthouse set on fire now. #KenoshaRiots pic.twitter.com/Cq3CBipXZo
— CIA-Simulation Warlord 🇺🇸😈🇺🇸 (@zerosum24) August 24, 2020
Rioters in Kenosha are now vandalizing the courthouse. pic.twitter.com/1CvnBrBZPV
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 24, 2020
https://twitter.com/i/status/1297761678189305856
Police presence has been sporadic — there is no real pattern as is the case in Portland. Police in Kenosha have little warning about where violence is going to pop-up.
Shit is tense as fuck in #Kenosha at the police HQ. 🤯🤯👀 pic.twitter.com/obYixnLI5T
— CIA-Simulation Warlord 🇺🇸😈🇺🇸 (@zerosum24) August 24, 2020
Kenosha pic.twitter.com/FtvARdSzMJ
— Maria Viti Teleporter Extraordinar (@selfdeclaredref) August 24, 2020
Kenosha pic.twitter.com/wRqmIFVrYx
— Maria Viti Teleporter Extraordinar (@selfdeclaredref) August 24, 2020
And finally the looting.
Small town businesses getting looted in #kenosha via @livesmattershow pic.twitter.com/aSk3hrHFJl
— Cacti (@SCCacti) August 24, 2020
More aftermath of the destruction in #Kenosha, WI pic.twitter.com/SfaloeJfzf
— Kitty Shackleford (@KittyLists) August 24, 2020
Kenosha pic.twitter.com/M8cXlHDZ4l
— Maria Viti Teleporter Extraordinar (@selfdeclaredref) August 24, 2020
This is not a big city. It will not take too much looting for a sizeable portion of the merchant class in Kenosha to close their doors for good. Sunrise is likely to show some very troubling sights.
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