After a night of property destruction, gunfire, and arrests in Milwaukee following the fatal police shooting of a 23-year-old man, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is ready to send in the National Guard.
In a statement on Sunday, Walker said that in response to a request from Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, and in consultation with other local officials, he has "activated the Wisconsin National Guard to be in a position to aid local law enforcement upon request."
Walker's complete statement is below:
“Following a request from Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, and after discussions with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Adjutant General Donald Dunbar, I have activated the Wisconsin National Guard to be in a position to aid local law enforcement upon request.
Walker's decision is bound to be controversial. Just prior to the announcement, Clarke was openly calling for National Guard assistance. However, despite Clarke's large national profile, his department patrols county parks. Other Milwaukee police and civic leaders were publicly saying that they "had the resources to handle the situation" and "did not anticipate calling upon the National Guard," according to USA Today.
David Clarke Jr. is the controversial African-American sheriff who has called a Black Lives Matter a "domestic hate group." He was most recently in the news for speaking in support of Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention.
