Author: Staff

A public outcry continues to grow for the disbarment of a Shorewood attorney who spat on a high school student during a peaceful anti-racism rally and march on June 6. Lawyer Stephanie Rapkin, who is white, showed up at the protest as it traveled from Whitefish Bay to Shorewood and parked her car in the street, blocking the march. When protesters approached her to urge her to move her car, mobile phone video shows Rapkin spitting on Eric Lucas, a black teen and a junior at Shorewood High School. The 17-year-old helped organize and lead the march. “I continue...

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Kamala Harris (D-CA), as well as Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass (D-CA) and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), in introducing the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 on June 8, the first-ever bold, comprehensive approach to hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement, and build trust between law enforcement and local communities. “The pain people are expressing through peaceful protests is real. I see it, I hear the calls for change and I know we have to work to heal the wounds of...

Members of the Milwaukee Common Council released a joint statement on June 5, regarding a June 2 incident where a Milwaukee police officer was filmed restraining a protester using the same method that killed George Floyd in Minneapolis. The council members called for a formal investigation by the Fire and Police Commission into the June 2 video, which showed a police officer using a knee on the neck and head to pin a protestor to the ground. The incident occurred at N. 6th and W. Vliet Streets during a gathering of protesters and a large response by police. “The...

Mayor Barrett announced the creation of a Commission on Police Accountability and Reform on June 5, with the mission to examine police practices and strengthen community trust among law enforcement officers in every neighborhood of the city. “The tragic events in recent days and the history of police violence in America underscore the critical need for the City of Milwaukee, and every city across the nation, to take specific actions to examine and transform America’s policing system. Far too many black lives have been lost,” said Mayor Barrett. The Commission will: Review the Milwaukee Police Department’s “use of force”...