On August 23, a black man by the name of Jacob S. Blake was shot seven times by officers of the Kenosha Police Department, as his family and young children were forced to watch. The moments leading up to the attempted killing were captured on video, leading to national attention and nationwide protests. As the world watched Jacob Blake fall to the ground, Police Chief Daniel Miskinis stood by, refused to repudiate the killers he employs, and has allowed these officers to walk free. 

Following the attempted murder of Jacob Blake, protestors throughout the city of Kenosha demand an end to the state-sponsored police violence against our citizens. Despite the community’s plea to value and respect for black lives, 17-year old Kyle Rittenhouse of Antioch Illinois was permitted by the Kenosha Police Department and the Dane County Sheriff’s Office to fatally shoot and kill two protesters and nearly killed a third. Since this most recent incident of inexcusable violence, the Kenosha Police Department Chief, Daniel Miskinis, has blamed the victims of the shooting, telling our community that “Had persons not been out... perhaps the situation that unfolded would not have happened.” 

The statements made by Chief Miskinis are not only a slap in the face to the many peaceful protesters marching to end police-driven violence, but a profound insult to the victims who lost their lives to preventable and police-sanctioned gun violence. Several days later, Chief Miskinis’ still refuses to directly condemn Rittenhouse for his murderous actions. Instead, the Chief of the Kenosha Police Department stated that Rittenhouse was merely “involved in the use of firearms to resolve whatever conflict was in place.” Chief Miskinis’ has proved how little value he places on human life.

The events that took place that night will have a lasting impact on the families of the victims as well as protesters, like myself, who will remember how a night of peaceful protesting turned into murder. The trauma will remain forever and the preventable bloodshed will never be forgotten for the people who witnessed these murders first hand. 

So today I call upon the people as we ask for the immediate resignation of Kenosha Police Department Chief. It’s time to hold these leaders accountable for their actions. We can no longer stand by and watch as they uphold racial injustices.