A worker at a Papa John’s restaurant in Wisconsin yelled at a group of people standing outside the store on Wednesday after it had been severely vandalized during riots that broke out last night.
“The third night of local protests against the Kenosha police shooting of Jacob Blake again ended with the same damage, this time focused along University Avenue — though young protest organizers urged agitators to stop,” the Wisconsin State Journal reported. “Police later responded with tear gas.”
“Trying to get Trump re-elected?” the man asked at the people outside. “Are they trying to get Trump re-elected?”
“Seriously!” the man said. “I got a family to support. I got f***ing kids to feed.”
“These people don’t represent our movement,” a woman can be heard saying in response.
The man responded, “Well, I’m sorry, but they’re with you.”
WATCH [Language Warning]:
Windows of businesses and residential buildings being smashed on University Avenue — which were not preemptively boarded up. This Papa John’s employee asks protesters, “Do you want Trump to be elected?” pic.twitter.com/IbSubGfGs6
— Dylan Brogan (@telldylan) August 26, 2020
The rioting came on the third night of protests and rioting in Wisconsin after law enforcement officials shot Jacob Blake, a black man, on Sunday after Blake resisted arrest and attempted to enter his vehicle, where there was a weapon.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) released the following statement yesterday on the incident:
Kenosha Police Department officers were dispatched to a residence in the 2800 block of 40th Street after a female caller reported that her boyfriend was present and was not supposed to be on the premises.
During the incident, officers attempted to arrest Jacob S. Blake, age 29. Law enforcement deployed a taser to attempt to stop Mr. Blake, however the taser was not successful in stopping Mr. Blake. Mr. Blake walked around his vehicle, opened the driver’s side door, and leaned forward. While holding onto Mr. Blake’s shirt, Officer Rusten Sheskey fired his service weapon 7 times. Officer Sheskey fired the weapon into Mr. Blake’s back. No other officer fired their weapon. Kenosha Police Department does not have body cameras, therefore the officers were not wearing body cameras.
The shooting officer, Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey, has been a law enforcement officer with Kenosha Police Department for seven years.
During the investigation following the initial incident, Mr. Blake admitted that he had a knife in his possession. DCI agents recovered a knife from the driver’s side floorboard of Mr. Blake’s vehicle. A search of the vehicle located no additional weapons.
Law enforcement immediately provided medical aid to Mr. Blake. Flight for Life transported Mr. Blake to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. Mr. Blake remains at the hospital.
DCI is leading this investigation and is assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Wisconsin State Patrol and Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office. All involved law enforcement are fully cooperating with DCI during this investigation. The involved officers have been placed on administrative leave.
DCI is continuing to review evidence and determine the facts of this incident and will turn over investigative reports to a prosecutor following a complete and thorough investigation.
When DCI is the lead investigating agency of a shooting involving a law enforcement officer, DCI aims to provide a report of the incident to the prosecutor within 30 days. The prosecutor then reviews the report and makes a determination about what charges, if any, are appropriate. If the prosecutor determines there is no basis for prosecution of the law enforcement officer, DCI will thereafter make the report available to the public.
No additional details are currently available.
This report has been updated to include a statement from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.