On Thursday, in Wauwatosa, WI, the mother and sisters of Alvin Cole were arrested by police who were coming down on protesters for breaking curfew. Multiple people who witnessed the arrests said that Tracey, Talevia, Tristiana Cole, and several other protesters were taken into custody shortly after 9 p.m.
The city had been under a 7 p.m. curfew since the second night of protest following Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm decision not to press charges against Police Officer Joseph Mensah for the shooting death of 17-year-old Alvin Cole.
On February 2, Officer Mensah shot and killed Cole outside of Mayfair Mall. Police were responding to a disturbance at the shopping center when Cole fled from police carrying a stolen 9 mm handgun. District Attorney Chisholm said in a 14-page letter that Mensah and two fellow officers provided their testimony that Cole fired a shot while fleeing and refused commands to drop the gun. Officer Mensah shot Cole for not surrendering his weapon.
On the night of Cole’s mother’s arrest, which was filmed on Facebook live, you could see one of Cole’s sisters recording law enforcement officers as they threatened 48-year-old Tracy Cole with a taser while taking her into custody.
In the livestream, you can hear Tracy scream at officers, repeatedly, saying, “I’m Alvin Cole’s Mother.”
“I can’t believe y’all did this to me. Y’all killed my son,” she screamed, adding, “I can’t breathe.”
During her arrest, Tracy said that her head was bleeding and that she thought her arm was broken, to which the officer responded, “Well, that’s too bad.”
The family attorney, Kimberley Motley, said that Tracy, who had injuries to her arm and forehead, and her daughter, Tristiana, were taken to Froedtert Hospital.
At 11:39 p.m. CDT, Motley tweeted that the two had been released from the hospital, adding that, “Police refusing to give answer on where Taleavia Cole has been taken.” She called the arrest “absolutely disgusting.”
At 9:20 p.m., Peoples Revolution said in a statement, “It is despicable that the Wauwatosa Police Department would arrest the members of the family of Alvin Cole, who their Officer killed.”
“I can’t speak to my client and I’d like to speak to my client and that’s a problem,” Motley added.
Earlier that day, Tracy had spoken to a crowd of about 25-30 people. She disapproved of the way law enforcement responded to the small group of protesters marching through Wauwatosa.
“We ain’t tearing down nothing,” she said, adding, “The state troops are here with full-body gear ready to tear us down. But you know what? It’s just going to make us stronger.”
After the widespread arrests, the Wauwatosa Police said they arrested several people for violating curfew, but they had not confirmed if any of them were members of the Cole family.
In a tweet, State Rep. LaKeisha Myers mentioned that 11 people were arrested, seven women and four men. She said that they will be receiving citations of $1,000 for violating the emergency curfew and that they were scheduled to be released.
