Photos Of Black Victims Hung From Nooses In Milwaukee: Sheriff

MILWAUKEE, WI — The photos of six Black people were found tied to nooses that were hung from a tree in Milwaukee's Riverside Park, and the Milwaukee County Sheriff's office is asking for the public's help to track down those responsible for the display.

The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office said they became aware of the six laminated cards that had been attached with nooses to a tree in Riverside Park, near N. Oakland Ave. just east of the Milwaukee River on the city's Upper East Side.

"The cards depicted the photographs of Black men and women who have been killed in encounters with law enforcement or private citizens, as well as information describing each incident," sheriff's officials said. "The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office immediately opened an investigation into this matter. This investigation is ongoing and has identified pertinent information."

The photos included Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Botham Jean, Ahmaud Arbery, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin. This incident happened less than a month after George Floyd died while in police custody in Minneapolis. Since then, marches and rallies have been held across the U.S. each day since, calling for long-overdue police and social justice reforms in society.

King Rick of the Milwaukee chapter of the Original Black Panthers said his group took the photos down from the tree Saturday night.

“Historically, African Americans have been hung and lynched,” Rick said in a media report. "I don’t care what anybody says, they can justify it all they want to. It was disrespectful not only to the memories of these individuals — our beloved individuals — but also to the African American community, so I’m not hearing it.”

Sheriff's officials encourage any members of the public with information regarding this matter to contact Milwaukee County Dispatch at (414) 278-4788.