Wisconsin Dem calls for calm in wake of Milwaukee police shooting

As Milwaukee braces for the possibility of more violence after a police shooting, Gov. Scott Walker (R) has declared a state of emergency and Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore, who represents the area, has called for calm. 

{mosads}In a Facebook post on Sunday evening, Moore acknowledged the “fractured relationship between local law enforcement officials and the communities they are sworn to protect” and called for calm as details emerge about the shooting of a 23-year-old armed man who fled from a police stop. 

“There is still much to learn regarding this incident, however, we simply cannot close our eyes to the hostile environment cultivated by the flagrant racial inequality and segregation that has plagued Milwaukee for generations. We also cannot allow anyone to take out their aggressions on our local businesses and homes or take the law into their own hands.”

Protesters fired gunshots, hurled bricks and set a gas station on fire Saturday night, hours after a patrol officer shot and killed Sylville Smith.

Smith was charged in a shooting last year, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on Sunday. He was later charged with trying to intimidate a witness in that same shooting, though the charges were dismissed. 

Police said he was armed when he fled a traffic stop about 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The officer ordered Smith to drop his gun; he did not and was shot in the chest and arm, according to information provided to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by Mayor Tom Barrett.

On Sunday afternoon, The Associated Press reported that Walker had activated the National Guard to assist the city if necessary after Saturday night’s violence.

Moore said she shared the frustration of both her constituents and the local police.

“We must find a way to strike a balance where we can peacefully point out the racial inequities in our society while recognizing the valuable role police play in our community. 

“As details continue to emerge about this shooting, I ask our community to remain calm and recommit to doing everything in our collective power to live up to our nation’s promise of ‘justice for all.’”

Mildred Haynes, Smith’s mother, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that her son, who had a 2-year-old child, does not have a felony record but acknowledged he had been arrested

“My son is gone due to the police killing my son,” she told the paper. “I am lost.”