Wauwatosa Police Department Shared Incident Summary: October 8, 2020

Press release from the City of Wauwatosa:

October 9, 2020

On the evening of Thursday, October 8, the Wauwatosa Police Department, with assistance from other law enforcement officers, arrested 24 individuals during unlawful demonstrations. Citations for violating an emergency order were issued to 19 people. Additional charges may be issued after a comprehensive review of videos, reports, and other evidence. The City of Wauwatosa previously announced a nightly curfew from 7:00 pm to 6:00 am, starting at 7:00 pm on October 7 and ending at 6:00 am on October 12.

On October 8, at approximately 5:00 pm, a large group of demonstrators, both on foot and in vehicles, departed Merrill Park, 435 N. 35 Street, in the City of Milwaukee, and proceeded to the area of N. 59 Street and W. Center Street. Once there, they stopped, and waited. At precisely 7:00 pm, they crossed N. 60 Street and entered Wauwatosa city limits, in violation of the emergency curfew order. At 7:02 pm, law enforcement units declared the group an unlawful assembly, and made this announcement to the group several times.

The group, consisting of marchers and vehicles, paraded through Wauwatosa streets, honking car horns and blocking all directions of traffic. At one point, a group of marchers blocked in a van, which was determined to be an undercover police vehicle. Demonstrators attempted to gain entry to the vehicle, pointed a gun at the occupants, and threw rocks at it as it escaped the crowd. At that point, members of the protest group began going car to car, demanding identification from occupants.

At 7:48 pm, a group of protesters broke away from the main group and attempted to force entry to the Cigarette Depot on the northwest corner of N. 76 Street and W. Center Street in the City of Milwaukee. Three people were arrested and turned over to the Milwaukee Police Department.

The demonstrators continued through a residential area, disturbing the peace and continuing to violate the emergency curfew order. Law enforcement, with Wisconsin National Guard, established a protective line in the 6700 block of W. North Avenue with the goal of preventing dangerous and destructive acts, similar to those that had occurred the previous evening. After continued non-compliance of the emergency curfew order, officers began arresting demonstrators for violating the order. One person was arrested in the 6700 block of W. North Avenue. Another was arrested a short distance away.

After the first arrests, the large group of demonstrators broke off into smaller groups, moving to different locations in the city. At approximately 8:25 pm, law enforcement officers encountered a group of vehicles that were driving across all lanes of traffic, southbound on Wauwatosa Avenue, near Wauwatosa East High School. Law enforcement deployed tire deflation devices to protect the motoring public from the oncoming vehicles. The occupants of these vehicles were all subsequently arrested for curfew violations. While most of these people cooperated when told they were under arrest, some refused to exit their vehicles. Law enforcement officers forcibly removed those who refused to exit in order to effectuate the arrests. Several more people were arrested during this encounter. Two of the arrestees requested medical attention. Wauwatosa Fire Department was summoned, and they were transported to the hospital. They were released a short time later, and will be cited and/or charged at a later time.

While National Guard members were posted at locations in these areas, no National Guard personnel participated in any of the custodial arrests.

We will not be releasing the names of those arrested until a complete, comprehensive review of video, reports, and evidence is finished. We have learned that some of those who were arrested have already identified themselves to local news media, which is their choice. We have received inquiries as to whether or not members of the media were among those arrested- we do not know those answers at this time. Once the investigation is complete, and all citations and charges have been determined, the police reports will be available.

We continue to ask everyone to comply with the emergency order in place by remaining away from City of Wauwatosa public spaces during the hours of 7:00 pm and 6:00 am each night. This will ensure the safety of all members of our community. Wauwatosa is well prepared to continue to protect lives and property in our community. Curfew will continue in the City of Wauwatosa between the hours of 7:00 pm and 6:00 am each night, ending on October 12, 2020.

This press release was produced by the City of Wauwatosa. The views expressed here are the author’s own.