Jay-Z’s Team Roc has paid for protesters’ bail/citation fees in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, following multiple arrests Thursday night.
The social justice arm of the 50-year-old rapper’s entertainment company, Roc Nation, posted bond for Alvin Cole’s mother and his three sisters, who were arrested while protesting his death, per CBS58 News in a piece published Friday. (RELATED: Jay Z Reportedly Turns Down Opportunity To Perform At The Super Bowl)
Jay-Z posts bond for Alvin Cole’s mother and others arrested at Wisconsin protests https://t.co/HD4KwUNlVh
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 9, 2020
A spokesperson for Jay-Z‘s company said the “Empire State of Mind” hitmaker also posted bond for several other people who had been arrested.
According to WTMJ TV:
Wauwatosa police say 24 people were arrested Thursday night, who were protesting the decision to not charge Wauwatosa Police Office Joseph Mensah in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Alvin Cole last February.
It comes after Team Roc took out a full-page ad over the summer in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel calling for the prosecution and termination of Officer Joseph Mensah, who is currently on suspension. Mensah was the officer who shot Alvin Cole. (RELATED: Jay-Z: America’s First Hip-Hop Artist Turned Billionaire)
A press release from Jay-Z‘s company also called on Governor Tony Evers to select a special prosecutor to “ensure justice is served.”
“Not only did the District Attorney’s Office fail to hold Officer Joseph Mensah accountable for killing Alvin, but the local police also arrested and injured Alvin’s mother Tracy and his sisters as they peacefully protested alongside Jacob Blake’s father,” Team ROC Director Dania Dia shared in a statement.
“We will continue to stand with these families and support the peaceful protestors as we collectively fight for the legacies of Alvin Cole, Jay Anderson and Anthony Gonzales, who all died at the hands of Mensah,” the statement added. “It’s imperative that Governor Evers appoint a special prosecutor to immediately rectify this miscarriage of justice.”