Kenosha, WI: It is with tremendous heaviness in my heart that I speak on the turn of events that occurred last night near 2805 40th Street in Kenosha, WI. The Kenosha NAACP joins the chorus of community members and organizations who are committed to finding resolution; and meeting with Kenosha Police Department Chief, the District Attorney and the Police & Fire Commission in that regard.
Without any additional information or investigative facts, the Kenosha Police Department seems to have engaged lethal force in the shooting of Jacob Blake. To add insult to injury, Jacob Blake was gunned down in spectacle.
The Kenosha community is grieving as a result of this tragic shooting; but also, we grieve for what seems to be a loss of civility in Kenosha. Regardless of who calls the police, we are all entitled to civility, respect and dignity as citizens of Wisconsin and the United States. When any of us contacts the police, we seek help, not bullets; we are looking for peace, not terror; we are desperate for relief, not an ever-enduring grief.
But in the most tragic way, we are finding ourselves with police authorities who seem more concerned with ammunition and escalation. Those who have been ordained with the privilege to act under the color of law continue to disappoint the communities that they are serving. And, our police must be held to a greater standard and accountable in this tragedy.
Now, more than ever, we here in Kenosha have a tremendous duty to ensure safety of all Kenosha citizens. In the interest of securing our better days, we ask everyone to join together, stay calm and collected.
Our communities must lead the charge in reconciliation and togetherness. We must not let this tragedy take away from the greatness that is in our hearts.
Anthony Davis
NAACP President – Kenosha Branch