Trump Announces He's Sending National Guard Into Kenosha, Wisconsin
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he’s sending the National Guard and federal law enforcement officers into Kenosha, Wisconsin, following violence the previous night that left two dead.
“We will NOT stand for looting, arson, violence, and lawlessness on American streets. My team just got off the phone with Governor Evers who agreed to accept federal assistance (Portland should do the same!),” Trump tweeted.
“TODAY, I will be sending federal law enforcement and the National Guard to Kenosha, WI to restore LAW and ORDER!” the president added.
Trump’s announcement came after a night of violence that saw two people killed and a third wounded, Fox News reported.
…TODAY, I will be sending federal law enforcement and the National Guard to Kenosha, WI to restore LAW and ORDER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2020
Kenosha has experienced civil unrest for the past three nights in response to the shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake by police officers on Sunday, which has left him partially paralyzed.
In a statement released early Wednesday morning, the Kenosha Police Department said the Tuesday night shooting during protests is under active investigation.
— Kenosha Police Dept. (@KenoshaPolice) August 26, 2020
A 17-year-old Illinois resident has since been arrested in connection with the shooting, police said, according to CNN.
Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that armed people describing themselves as militia had been patrolling the city’s streets in recent nights, but he did not know whether the shooter was among them.
“They’re a militia,” the sheriff said. “They’re like a vigilante group.”
A crowd can be seen in the video below chasing a suspected shooter down the street.
WARNING: The following video contains violent content that some viewers may find disturbing:
(Warning, Graphic/Violent)
A crowd chases a suspected shooter down in Kenosha. He trips and falls, then turns with the gun and fires several times. Shots can be heard fired elsewhere as well, corroborating reports of multiple shooters tonight #Kenosha #KenoshaRiots pic.twitter.com/qqsYWmngFW— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) August 26, 2020
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, declared a state of emergency and doubled a National Guard deployment to Kenosha from 125 to 250 prior to Trump’s announcement, Fox News reported.
We are assessing the damage to state property and will be increasing the presence of the Wisconsin National Guard to ensure individuals can exercise their right safely, protect state buildings and critical infrastructure, and support first responders and fire fighters.
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) August 25, 2020
“We cannot allow the cycle of systemic racism and injustice to continue. We also cannot continue going down this path of damage and destruction,” he tweeted.
“Kenosha Fire Chief Charles Leipzig said there were 34 active fires associated with the unrest, with 30 businesses destroyed or damaged along with an unknown number of residences,” according to the Kenosha News.
Julia Jackson, Blake’s mother, called for rioters to stop the looting and violence in response to her son’s shooting by police.
“My family and I are very hurt, and quite frankly disgusted,” Jackson told CNN’s Don Lemon on Tuesday night. “And as his mother, please don’t burn up property and cause havoc and tear your own homes down in my son’s name.”
“People shouldn’t do it anyway, but to use my child or any other mother or father’s child, our tragedy, to react in that manner is just not acceptable. And it’s not helping Jacob. It’s not helping Jacob or any other of the men or women who has suffered in these areas.”
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