By Emilio De Torre
Last night in the Sherman Park area, Milwaukee police officers in riot gear wrongfully arrested two men for no good reason. But this time, the men they arrested had the means to demand their rights and were released. The men were Jarrett English, an organizer at the ACLU of Wisconsin, and State Representative Jonathan Brostoff.
At about 9:30 p.m., a handful of people, including Mr. English and Rep. Brostoff, stood on the northeast corner of Sherman Boulevard and Auer Avenue, observing a large contingent of police officers who had blocked off Auer on the west side of Sherman. The street has been the gathering place for community members since the fatal police shooting of Sylville Smith on August 13.
Numerous officers then forcibly arrested Mr. English as he was walking away as instructed. He was handcuffed, forced to the ground, involuntarily searched, and placed in a paddy wagon with Rep. Brostoff. After officials became aware that they had arrested a state legislator, the two were released without charges.
When I had the chance of speaking with Jarrett, he told me this:
“The situation was confusing, because I really did not know what I was being arrested for. It was embarrassing and dehumanizing, and I did not feel that I was being treated with the dignity and respect that should be afforded any individual. But I was mostly thinking about all of the young people this happens to every day who don’t have anyone to call to get free. We cannot continue doing this to our people. It has to stop.”
The Milwaukee Police Department has once again demonstrated its preference for occupation, excessive force, and belligerence over genuine engagement, civil dialog, and de-escalation. People have a right to stand on a street corner – to observe and record the police, as Jarrett was doing, or for any other reason. Unfortunately, rather than protecting people and their rights, law enforcement in this community all too often engages in the sort of destructive behavior to which Jarrett and Jonathan were subjected to last night.
Although no one deserves to be treated like this, the police made the mistake this time of abusing people who were in a position to insist on their rights. Most people aren’t so lucky.
Jarrett English, a Milwaukee native, recently wrote about the history of police failures in his city. You can read it here.
Busted
One sided reporting is useless in this topic unless it only serves to promulgate destructive stereotypes.
Frankly
A few questions for you.
1) Which part of this account are you disputing ?
2) Would not transparency on the part of the police in the form of their version of the story be useful in providing both sides of the story ?
3) If your response to question 2 is yes, then why is the police response to media attempts to get the police’s truthful version of the story so frequently stonewalling ?
The cops are acting like storm troopers Frankly. Many people are tired of it.
You want that kind of enforcement in Davis?
Biddlin, that storm trooper behavior is already in Davis when occasions arise with local police officers combining forces w/ Yolo & Sac Co. sheriffs.
Sorry folks. It can happen to any of you at any time. No one is immune.
No it can’t. I’m immune.
This is a topic too charged to accept one-sided reporting. I am reading about black urban community shop owners pleading with police to come and help get rid of the loitering thugs keeping customers away and robbing them. Cops are saying no. There are more sides that need to be included.
Then by all means, post a link.
Frankly, that behavior may occur, but it doesn’t mean the other storm trooper behavior does not occur. Right? ♡
Peace.