Posted on August 26, 2020

Two People Murdered During Kenosha Riots, Killer Escapes, Citizens Arm Up to Protect Homes and Businesses

Charles Cunha, Law Enforcement Today, August 26, 2020

For police, it’s quickly turning into a “worst case scenario”.

Late Tuesday night, two people were shot and killed and a third person was injured during protests over the shooting of armed criminal Jacob Blake.

Police say the killer is on the run, and citizens are starting to arm up to protect themselves and their businesses.

Wednesday morning, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said one victim had been shot in the head and another in the chest just before midnight.

While Beth didn’t know specifically where the other person was shot, video posted on social media showed someone had been shot in the arm.  Those injuries are now considered to be life threatening.

It happened on Sheridan Road in the heart of Kenosha near the Froedert South hospital building.

The area was filled with protestors walking up and down the road, as they’d just been forced there after being kicked out of Civic Center Park.

Social media footage showed people scattering as gunshots rang out, with many hiding behind bushes along the hospital fence line.

A video that’s been widely shared shows a man sprinting into the parking lot of Bert and Rudy’s Auto Service at 63th Street and Sheridan Road carrying a long gun.

Multiple gunshots are heard after someone pursuing him appears to throw something toward him.

In a second video, you can see a gunshot victim lying in the parking lot.

That appears to be the man who had been pursuing the gunman – and the person has been shot in the head.

Bystanders were applying pressure to the wound to try and stop the bleeding before then carrying the victim across Sheridan Road toward the hospital.

In other videos, you see what appears to be the same man wielding a long gun while running north on Sheridan Road, being chased by people screaming that he shot someone.

At one point, he falls to the ground and fires the gun at people who seem to be trying to disarm him… then shoots two of the people, one in the torso and one in the arm.

The person shot in the arm then ran, bleeding heavily and screaming for medical help. More gunshots come moments after.

A person who was live-streaming the whole thing helped the victim with tying a tourniquet around his arm.

Then the gunman is seen running north toward several police tactical vehicles with his arms raised, according to video footage… but they raced past him.

Beth said it’s unclear if there was more than one shooter.

Police did not release the names, ages and cities of residence for the victims and say they’re still trying to provide positive identification.

Beth said that although nobody has been arrested yet, he believes at least one person would soon be brought in based on video footage police have reviewed.

“I feel very confident we’ll have him in a very short time,” Beth said.

The shooting came on the third night of violent protests in the city which have resulted in countless windows being burned, windows smashed and stores looted.

Beth said the investigation is being done in coordination with the FBI.

“We’ve got a lot of resources that are helping us pull this stuff together,” Beth said of the shooting investigation.

Tuesday night, about 250 law enforcement officers and 250 National Guard members were in the city to try and stop the anarchy.

Beth also said people who appear to be part of a militia have been patrolling the streets in recent nights, but he didn’t know if that person was one of those individuals.

“They’re a militia,” Beth said. “They’re like a vigilante group.”

A Journal Sentinel writer reported earlier in the evening that there was a group of armed men with long guns standing guard at a dry cleaning business on Sheridan Road near 59th Street, with a number on the roof.

Although police yelled at them to get down, a person responded “Officer, this is our business” and they were allowed to stay.

Prior to the shooting, someone from Kenosha reportedly suggested to Beth that he deputize ordinary citizens to help contain the unrest – something he refused.

“I said, ‘There’s no way I’m doing that,’” Beth said.

They’re asking that anyone who witnessed the shootings contact the Kenosha Police Department Detective Bureau at 262-605-5203, or for those who wish to remain anonymous to contact Kenosha Area Crime Stoppers at 262-656-7333.

Police are also asking for videos and photos of the incident that may not have already been circulated on social media.

In the meantime, Breitbart news reported that armed citizens are attempting to stop rioters, arsonists, and looters from destroying anymore businesses. Field reporter, Jorge Ventura, of the Daily Caller was at the scene when armed citizens were attempting to stop the rioters.

In a video posted on The Daily Caller Twitter feed, three armed men were seen standing outside a local business. The person video recording the three men went up asked them if they were here to protect the building. One armed male said:

“We’re out here trying to protect residents, we’re trying to protect the innocent people and we’re trying to protect the businesses of the citizens out here. We’re not trying to protect the government. You want to tear down those lampshades, go for it I guess.”

While the video continued another armed male yelled:

“I’m on your side, as long as you’re against the cops but you can’t burn down your local businesses.”

Ventura observed various acts of violence and vandalism such as a furniture set on fire by a mob, a dozen or so vehicles were set on fire by arsonists, and the neighborhood was disturbed by explosions due to fuel tanks being set on fire.

The National Guard was deployed to quell the chaos across Kenosha, Wisconsin.

In a different video, posted by Reddit, a car dealership is shown with broken windows when an armed citizen walked over and yelled:

“Get the f*** away from the businesses. These people rely on this s** to live.”

The person who filmed the video said that the armed citizens are not part of the National Guard and are “on the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest side, but they don’t want people looting.”

The protests and riots are in protest to the shooting of black Wisconsinite, Jacob Blake, by police officers on Sunday afternoon.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D) stood in commonality with the protestors referencing the officer involved shooting, still being investigated, as “another attack against a black man” and claiming racism as a “public health crisis.”

Governor Tony Evers commented:

“As folks across our state are making their voices heard, they should be able to assemble and report on these issues without any fear of being unsafe. If you are exercising that right, please do so peacefully, wear your masks, and keep physical distance as best you can.”

The Kenosha Professional Police Association President, Pete Deates commented on Gov. Evers statement of criticism of the police officers involved in the shooting of Blake. He called it:

“Wholly irresponsible and not reflective of the hardworking members of the law enforcement community, not to mention the citizens of the City of Kenosha.”

Pete Deates made a statement:

“Anytime deadly force is used, our hearts go out to those affected by it.  We assure you an independent investigation is being conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation.

Until that investigation is completed, we ask that you withhold prejudgment about the incident and please the let process take place. Governor Evers’ statement on the incident was wholly irresponsible and not reflective of the hardworking members of the law enforcement community, not to mention the citizens of the City of Kenosha.

As always, the video currently circulating does not capture all the intricacies of a highly dynamic incident. We ask that you withhold from passing judgement until all the facts are known and released.

We, along with the citizens of the great City of Kenosha, ask for peace and to let the process play out fairly and impartially.”

TownHall.com reporter, Julio Rosas posted a video of him interviewing an armed resident protecting local businesses. Rosas said:

“This is the moment I mentioned earlier. These armed citizens said they support the protests but not the riots because people are hurting their own community. Later on, as a car dealership was under attack by rioters, one of the armed men stepped in and stopped it.”

Original Article