Jay-Z paid the court fees for a handful of Wisconsin protesters who were arrested following the announcement that no charges would be brought against the officer who killed 17-year-old Alvin Cole.
Cole’s mother, Tracy was jailed alongside multiple other protesters who took to the streets on Thursday night in Wauwatosa. Hov and Team Roc also paid an unknown amount in court fees for Tracy and her daughters Taleavia, Tristiana, and Tahudah, as well as several other protesters, according to CBS News. Tracy was also said to have been injured when officers used “excessive force” while arresting demonstrators.
“Our hearts break for the family of Alvin Cole and the Wauwatosa community. Not only did the District Attorney's Office fail to hold Officer Joseph Mensah accountable for killing Alvin, but the local police also arrested and injured Alvin's mother Tracy and his sisters as they peacefully protested alongside Jacob Blake's father,” Dania Diaz, the executive director for Team Roc, said in a statement.
The Wauwatosa Police Department arrested 24 people on Thursday for breaking the city’s 7 p.m. curfew. Authorities said they could also issue additional chargers after looking over video, reports, and other evidence.
Demonstrations came after Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm declined to charge Wauwatosa Officer Joseph Mensah, who fatally shot Cole on Feb. 2. According to Chisholm, there was “sufficient evidence” that Mensah had “subjective belief that deadly force was necessary and that belief was objectively reasonable.”
Authorities have maintained that Cole fired a weapon at some point during the incident, with Chisholm saying there’s evidence that the teen was holding a stolen 9mm handgun. However, his family has disputed this narrative.
