AFSCME Wisconsin Statement on the Shooting of Jacob Blake by Kenosha Police

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SUBJECT: AFSCME Wisconsin Statement Rebuking the Shooting of Jacob Blake by the Kenosha Police

AFSCME Wisconsin Statement Rebuking the Shooting of Jacob Blake by the Kenosha Police

AFSCME Wisconsin rebukes the atrocious shooting of Jacob Blake at the hands of the Kenosha Police. AFSCME Wisconsin stands in solidarity with victims of police violence and recommits to eradicating all forms of brutality perpetrated against communities of color and the working class.

AFSCME Wisconsin Executive Director Patrick Wycoff stated, “amid a renewed call to honor and protect Black life, officers from the Kenosha Police Department terrorized the families they swore to protect. Shooting a Black man in the back in the presence of his children was not just reckless, it is an abuse of power.

AFSCME Wisconsin demands the implementation of community-controlled policing oversight; robust community services investment in behavioral health, social services, education, and housing; and an end to federally supported militarized police presence in our communities. Without these measures in place, trust cannot be built and repaired with the community and those who the police force swears to protect.

In solidarity with national efforts, AFSCME Wisconsin advocates for federal funding to create a civilian corps of unarmed first responders such as social workers, EMTs, and trained health professionals who are trained to handle nonviolent emergencies and specialize in de-escalation. Moreover, AFSCME Wisconsin lends its support to the creation of a national database to prevent officers who have been removed from employment or resigned in the face of misconduct, from being reemployed by another law enforcement agency.

Executive Director Wycoff stated, “as public employees, we spend our lives and labor investing in our communities. Disregard for the lives of our neighbors of color destroys the trust we have worked so hard to build. We cannot heal the wounds of white supremacy and brutality against the working class while this senseless violence persists. The safety of one means the safety of all. We cannot let up until each community member feels safe. We stand in solidarity with the family of Jacob Blake and reiterate that Black lives matter.”

For more information, please contact AFSCME Wisconsin Communications Director Valerie Landowski ([email protected]) or (715) 347-2740

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