Alvin Cole was a Black teen who lost his life in 2020 as a result of a police-involved shooting in Wauwastosa, Wisconsin.
On October 8, 2020, his mother was arrested for protesting the murder of her son.
Tracy Cole; her three daughters Taleavia, Tristiana, and Tahudah; and several protesters were arrested in Wauwatosa on Thursday. They are no longer in custody thanks to some of Hip-Hop supporters of the social justice movement, Jay-Z and his TeamRoc.
Their bond was posted by TeamRoc according to CBS.
The civil unrest came a day after police officer Joseph Mensah escaped charges for shooting her son last February outside of the Mayfair Mall after a minor dispute.
On October 7, the Milwaukee County District Attorney declined to press charges against Mensah for killing the 17-year-old. DA John Chisholm maintains that his death by shooting was justified.
“Mr. Cole went to Mayfair Mall armed with a 9mm,” said Chisholm. “He had a confrontation with a patron. While he was running from them, he discharged the firearm, and from that point on, he was ordered to surrender the firearm and never did so.”
The public was not buying it, which is why the protest erupted.
There were 20 additional people arrested and bailed out. They were detained for not obeying the Wauwatosa city’s 7 p.m. curfew.
It is reported by TeamRoc that Cole’s mother Tracy sustained a broken arm after the authorities used “excessive force” arresting her.
“Our hearts break for the family of Alvin Cole and the Wauwatosa community,” Team Roc Executive Director Dania Diaz told CBS News. “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.”
Officer Mensah’s record is not just blemished by the death of Alvin Cole. Since 2015, while in uniform, the police officer has shot and killed three people.
As in this case, the DA said his actions were justified.
