Evers declares State of Emergency following Kenosha shooting

Gov. Tony Evers has signed Executive Order #86 declaring a state of emergency in response to protests that have led to violence and damage in communities across Wisconsin.

This order directs state agencies to continue assisting the state response and enacts active duty personnel of the Wisconsin National Guard to support first-responders and protect critical infrastructure and cultural institutions.

The order comes after a Jacob Blake of Kenosha was shot multiple times in front of his three children by a Kenosha police officer. The Aug. 23 shooting has ignited protests in Wisconsin and caused damage to local downtown Madison businesses, according to multiple reports. Blake was shot as he attempted to enter his SUV, and the shooting was recorded by bystanders. 

Local protests for two nights in a row in Madison began peacefully and turned more violent in the evening. Several businesses on State Street and the Capitol Square have sustained damages including broken windows and graffiti.  

Evers has called for a special session on police reform bills and has enacted the National Guard to support law enforcement in the city of Kenosha where riots and protests have turned increasingly damaging and violent.

The father of Jacob Blake told the Chicago Sun-Times that his son is paralyzed from shooting but it is unknown if his condition is permanent. The family has retained prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent Blake. According to Crump’s office and eyewitness reports, Blake had broken up a domestic argument when officers arrived and drew their weapons. 

Urban League leaders from the national, Madison, and Milwaukee organizations have issued a statement calling for action on police reform. Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, Ruben Anthony, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Madison, and Dr. Eve Hall, president and CEO of the Milwaukee Urban League stated, “The city of Kenosha immediately must appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate the shooting and commit to holding the officers accountable. We support Gov. Tony Evers’ executive order calling for a special session of the legislature to take up police reform bills that have languished for two months. On the federal level, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would tighten standards and accountability to make shootings like this a rarity, also languishes in the Senate after it passed the House in June.”