Man Shot During Second Night Of Violent Protests In Milwaukee

By Gwendolyn Purdom in News on Aug 15, 2016 6:22PM

Police take a man to a hospital after he was shot in the neck as angry crowds took to the streets for a second night to protest an officer-involved killing. Protestors threw rocks and there was gunfire in the crowd as hundreds of people confronted police after an officer shot and killed a fleeing man earlier in the day.

Men throw rocks.

People gather for a prayer vigil near the BP gas station that was burned after an officer-involved killing.

People gather for a prayer vigil near the BP gas station that was burned after an officer-involved killing.

People gather for a prayer vigil near the BP gas station that was burned after an officer-involved killing.

People gather for a prayer vigil near the BP gas station that was burned after an officer-involved killing.

People gather for a prayer vigil near the BP gas station that was burned after an officer-involved killing.

Police officers stand guard as crowds gather for a second night near the BP gas station that was burned after an officer-involved killing.

Police officers stand guard at the District 7 police station.

Police officers stand guard at the District 7 police station.

A man was shot and injured early Monday as weekend violence and rioting sparked by an officer-involved shooting of a black man Saturday spilled into early Monday morning in Milwaukee.

CNN reports the 18-year-old man was struck in the neck and has been hospitalized. In addition to the shooting, city police said on Twitter Monday morning that four officers were injured, 14 people were arrested, 30 shots were fired and three squad cars were damaged overnight. Protests that included businesses being burned and cars being overturned initially erupted Saturday in the racially-divided city after Milwaukee police chased two suspects on foot following a traffic stop and a black officer shot and killed one black suspect who was reportedly armed with a gun. Wisconsin governor Scott Walker declared a state of emergency for the county Sunday afternoon.

The sheriff of Milwaukee County railed against "the progressive left" for putting his city's "citizens in harm's way" in an op-ed Monday. Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke wrote on The Hill's site Monday morning that he is "livid that Milwaukee’s pathetic, kowtowing city officials and aldermen take this opportunity to abandon their citizens and preen before the Black Lives Matter-enabling media."

Clarke, who is black, went on to say:

"The officer-involved-shooting was simply a catalyst that ignited the already volatile mixture of inescapable poverty, failing K-12 public schools, dysfunctional lifestyle choices like father absent homes, gang involvement, drug/alcohol abuse and massive unemployment."

The weekend's events and Clarke's controversial comments unfolded amid a national wave of outrage and tension about excessive police force against black citizens and several recent acts of violence against officers. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports protestors threw rocks, bricks and bottles at officers in riot gear Sunday night and into Monday morning. Officials tweeted early Monday morning that order was being restored in the area.

The initial Saturday shooting that set off the protests was captured on the officer's body camera, unlike other recent high profile officer-involved shootings like the death of unarmed 18-year-old Paul O'Neal that Chicago Police shared video of this month. According to Milwaukee Police, the body cam footage seems to suggest the officer in this case "certainly appeared to be within lawful bounds," the Tribune reports. The investigation is ongoing.

Milwaukee community leaders who met Sunday to address the situation said they're working with residents to keep everyone informed. The National Guard Gov. Walker has standing by have yet to be deployed and won't be unless given the order by the city's police chief.