June 19, 2008

Milwaukee Police Attack High School Students

Posted by Matt Nelson at 1:00PM

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Shortly after 4pm on Tuesday, June 10, Milwaukee police officers attacked and arrested a Riverside High School student who allegedly hit a car with a water balloon during a supposed water balloon fight. Onlookers witnessed this act of aggression by the police officers on duty. The officers on the scene viciously beat the victim over the head and tackled him to the ground. According to over a dozen witnesses, the boy was lying prone on the ground for several minutes before officers proceeded to lift his shirt and attack him with a tazer gun, an excessive and potentially lethal force. The tazer gun was used at close range. After the melee, the police spokesperson told the media that three officers were injured, but has yet to provide concrete evidence supporting these claims.

According to witnesses, including the boy's cousin, the student attacked is a severe asthmatic and was not resisting arrest when tazered. The student was held in the police vehicle for twenty minutes until an ambulance arrived on the scene. At least thirty officers were present and arrested a total of seven students and one parent. At least three of the people arrested were in the act of filming the incident. Police forced many of the first hand witnesses to leave the area.

Demand Police Accountability from Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett: (414.286.2200, mayor@milwaukee.gov) and new Police Chief Edward Flynn: (414.935.7200, acolem@milwaukee.gov)

Some of the students were detained for two days before being released and many of the students arrested are currently facing criminal charges and expulsion hearings.

In the wake of the tragic incident at Riverside high school, there is a call for answers, justice, and police accountability. Criminalization of young people and excessive force by the Milwaukee Police Department is unacceptable and happens too often to deny that there is a serious problem.

The systemic issues causing this pattern of police misconduct and brutality cannot be addressed by investigations led by anyone close to the MPD. They can only be addressed when Chief Flynn restores respect for the chain of command and when the Mayor calls for an independent, elected civilian review board to review, investigate, and rule on complaints against officers. Too many unarmed individuals have died at the hands of the MPD and external oversight is desperately needed to prevent future tragedies in our communities.

The city deserves a professional police force that will earn the respect of the community though good police work and a high level community involvement, otherwise police-community relations will continue to deteriorate and prospects for improving safety and reducing crime will diminish. Safety in our neighborhoods and effectively fighting crime both require rebuilding broken community relationships with law enforcement officers. This can only happen when officers respect the safety and Civil Rights of those who they serve. No one is above the law.

Call and email the Minneapolis Public School Superintendent to demand that the students involved are not expelled:

William G. Andrekopoulos

Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent

414.475.8001

governance@mail.milwaukee.k12.wi.us