The chaos and destruction caused by the Kenosha riots are nothing to look back on fondly, but that is particularly true for Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes. Rioters in Kenosha set fire to small businesses, clashed with police, and created millions of dollars in destruction throughout the community. Barnes fanned the flames by repeatedly making flagrant, false assertions throughout the ordeal.
As a reminder, the officer’s use of force in response to a knife-wielding alleged domestic abuser was found to have been justified by an independent investigation.
But instead of wait for facts to emerge, here’s what Barnes said:
- The day after the encounter with Jacob Blake, Barnes tweeted: “Last night, Jacob Blake was shot in the back seven times in front of his children. This wasn’t an accident. The officer’s deadly actions attempted to take a person’s life in broad daylight. Like many of you, the video is burned into my mind like all the past videos just like it.”
- In a speech the next day, Barnes stated: “Jacob Blake was shot in the back seven times in front of his children. Let me be clear, this wasn’t an accident. This was not bad police work. This felt like a vendetta being taken out on a member of our community. the officer’s deadly actions attempted to take a person’s life in broad daylight.”
- After riots burned down Kenosha and left the city in tatters, Barnes said “in the wake of it all, you see community actually being built.”
It got to the point where law enforcement organizations had to ask Evers and Barnes to stop making statements on social media, stating that their remarks were “premature, judgmental, inflammatory and only add to the anger and divisiveness of an already dangerous situation.”
“Whether it is calling to defund the police or accusing an officer of murder for just doing his job, Lt. Gov. Barnes has demonstrated his contempt for law enforcement. The outright disregard for safety and the rule of law from Barnes during the Kenosha riots prove how his leadership has continuously failed the people of Wisconsin. When it came time to lead, Mandela Barnes instead joined the mob.” – Republican Party of Wisconsin Rapid Response Director Mike Marinella