Police in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, declared an “unlawful assembly” Tuesday night as another night of demonstrations took place in the city.
“This continues to be a challenging time in Wauwatosa,” the Wauwatosa Police Department said in a press release. “We welcome protests in our community that are lawful and peaceful. Last night, October 13, a protest entered Wauwatosa that was neither lawful nor peaceful.” (RELATED: Daily Caller Reporters Detained, Repeatedly Hit With Clubs By Police While Reporting On Wisconsin Protests)
Please see the News Release regarding the arrest of an individual during a loud, unlawful, and disruptive protest on Oct 13, 2020. pic.twitter.com/dMpjiyZonf
— Wauwatosa Police (WI) (@WauwatosaPD) October 14, 2020
Police said that around 7:40 p.m. Tuesday night, around 20 vehicles and 30-40 people marched in the street and blocked traffic. The crowd was honking car horns and sounding air horns, hanging out of car windows, revving motorcycle engines and driving on sidewalks, police said.
“The behavior of this group was in violation of law, and disturbed the peace of the neighborhoods,” the press release said. “The Wauwatosa Police Dispatch Center received several calls from neighbors complaining about the group.”
An unlawful assembly was declared around 8:00 p.m., and the crowd failed to disperse, police said. A 28-year-old man was arrested after moving towards officers and yelling aggressively after being told to get back. He will face felony charges of resisting an officer and causing soft tissue injury and was cited for possession of marijuana and unlawful assembly, according to the press release.
Crown control munitions, including smoke and pepper spray, were deployed to get the crowd to leave the area.
“The Wauwatosa Police Department is committed to maintain order, peace, and safety in our community,” the press release read. “Blocking streets without permits and participating in loud, boisterous behavior is against the law. We ask that anyone who wishes to participate in a protest or other demonstration do so in a lawful, peaceful manner.”
Protests in Wauwatosa began October 7 after the announcement that Wauwatosa Police officer Joseph Mensah would not face charges for the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Alvin Cole that took place February 2 outside of a shopping mall. Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm said that Mensah had a reasonable belief that deadly force should be used, and therefore would not face charges, ABC 7 News reported.
Mensah and two other officers at the scene said that Cole had pointed a stolen handgun at them before he was shot. Chisholm said that evidence showed that Cole had fired a shot while fleeing from the officers, according to ABC 7.
During the first night of unrest, videos showed rioters throwing rocks at private homes and businesses and smashing storefront windows. Photos from October 7 and the morning of October 8 showed extensive damage to homes and businesses.
