The mother and sisters of 17-year-old Alvin Cole, who was shot and killed by police in February, were arrested Thursday night by police in Wisconsin while they were protesting peacefully, the family’s attorney said.
Tracy Cole, Taleavia Cole, Tayudah Cole and Tristiana Cole were taken into custody in Wauwatosa, just west of Milwaukee, attorney Kimberly Motley told CNN.
A 7 p.m. curfew was in effect following news that Officer Joseph Mensah, who shot Alvin Cole, will not face criminal charges – a decision that sparked protests amid a monthslong wave of nationwide demonstrations over how police treat Black people.
Alvin’s mother, Tracy Cole, who uses a cane, was taken to a hospital with a large bump on her forehead and an injured arm that, Motley said, resulted from “roughly being handcuffed.” Tracy and Tristiana Cole later were released from the hospital, Motley added.
“It’s unclear why they were arrested. At the time of their arrest, they were in their vehicle – they got pulled out of their vehicle,” the attorney said. “Tracy – who walks with a cane, who is a peaceful protester – was essentially assaulted and then taken to the hospital by police and sustained injuries as a result.
“Their car was impounded. Taleavia Cole and Tayudah Cole were taken to two different precincts in two different cities following their arrests. All have been released without charges,” she said.
CNN has reached out to the Wauwatosa Police Department for comment.
A total of 24 people were arrested Thursday, and two of them asked for medical attention, Wauwatosa police said in a news release Friday. They did not give additional details about the nature of the medical issues.
The Wauwatosa Police Department said they are not releasing the names of those arrested until they review video, reports, and evidence. CNN has reached out to police asking whether any of Alvin Cole’s relatives were arrested and if Tracy Cole was one of the women who required medical attention, but CNN has not heard back.
Alvin Cole was shot and killed outside a Wauwatosa mall on February 2 when officers responded to a disturbance call, police said. Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber told reporters at the time that Alvin fired a gun before an officer returned fire.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John T. Chisholm wrote in a letter to the Wauwatosa police chief that there was “sufficient evidence” showing that Mensah believed deadly force was necessary and “that belief was objectively reasonable.”
Motley represents the Cole family and the families of two other people who she says were killed by Mensah. The families want Mensah to be fired and charged in all three cases, the attorney said.
The Alvin Cole case
The prosecutor in his report said Alvin had a stolen 9 mm pistol while he was at the mall and displayed the pistol during an argument with another patron.
“He was encountered by Wauwatosa Police officers in the parking lot of Mayfair Mall, ran from the police, discharged the firearm and was ordered to surrender the weapon,” Chisholm wrote. “He did not surrender the weapon and was fired upon by Officer Mensah causing his death.”
Chisholm released an eight-minute compilation video of the night Alvin was fatally shot.
The video shows what looks like an officer walking toward something and pointing a gun. Someone says “drop the gun,” before a gunshot sounds. Alvin cannot be seen in the footage at the time of the shooting. What sounds like several gunshots can be heard soon afterward.
Another night of protests
Thursday marked a second night of protests in Wauwatosa. Law enforcement “made several arrests of members from a crowd violating lawful orders. We ultimately want voluntary compliance of the emergency curfew,” the police department tweeted Thursday night.
Police plan to issue a statement later, the agency told CNN.
Police and the National Guard are working to patrol the city. A curfew is in effect nightly from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. until Monday.
Wauwatosa officials recognize the importance of peaceful protests, they said in a statement Wednesday. But “we must balance this with our charge to ensure that our community, lives, and property are protected,” they said.
