On Thursday in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, the mother and sisters of Alvin Cole were arrested during a protest after the city’s curfew began. Witnesses told reporters that Tracy, Taleavia and Tristiana Cole, along with 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 protests that followed Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm’s decision not to charge Officer Joseph Mensah in the death of 17 year old Alvin Cole. Mensah shot and killed Cole on February 2 outside Mayfair Mall. In a 14 page letter, Chisholm said police were responding to a disturbance and that Cole ran carrying a stolen handgun. According to the officers’ accounts in that letter, Cole fired a shot while fleeing and did not drop the weapon, and Mensah fired.
Tracy’s arrest was streamed on Facebook Live. In the video, which shows one of Cole’s sisters recording officers, 48 year old Tracy is heard repeatedly saying she is Alvin Cole’s mother and shouting that police killed her son. She also said she could not breathe. Tracy said her head was bleeding and that she believed her arm was broken, and she said an officer replied that it was too bad.
The family’s attorney, Kimberley Motley, said Tracy, who had injuries to her arm and forehead, and Tristiana were taken to Froedtert Hospital. Motley later tweeted that the two had been released, and said police were not telling her where Taleavia had been taken. She called the arrests disgusting and said she had not been able to speak with her client.
Earlier in the day, Tracy spoke to a crowd of about 25 to 30 people. She criticized the heavy law enforcement presence responding to the small group of marchers, saying the show of force would only make protesters stronger.
Wauwatosa Police said several people were arrested for violating curfew but did not confirm whether any were members of the Cole family. State Representative Myers said on Twitter that 11 people were arrested, seven women and four men, and that each would receive a $1,000 citation and be released.
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