Kyle Rittenhouse supporter's appointment to Kenosha planning committee sets off firestorm
The appointment of a self-styled militia member to an all-volunteer emergency planning committee in Kenosha, Wisconsin is setting off a furious backlash in the community still reeling from the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, just two years ago.
According to a report from the Wisconsin Examiner's Erick Gunn, the decision by Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman to appoint Kevin Matthewson -- an avid supporter of Kyle Rittenhouse -- is facing major blowback
As Gunn wrote, Kerkman raised even more eyebrows after she appointed two new members to the county’s racial equity commission, one of whom served on Rittenhouse's legal team when he was put on trial for killing two men participating in a protest of the Blake shooting.
That, in turn, led to a flood of complaints on social media and the immediate resignation of Brad Backer, a member of the equity commission.
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In a statement, Backer claimed, "The first charge of our commission was to study issues of race in connection with law enforcement and policing. The common denominator of these two people is they each represent the two most polarizing individuals in terms of an uncritical view toward the police here in Kenosha County.”
According to the report, "Mathewson gained national attention after declaring himself a militia commander on Facebook and encouraging people armed with guns to come to Kenosha to 'defend' the community on Aug. 25, 2020, the third night of protests after Kenosha police shot and paralyzed Jacob Blake. That evening, Rittenhouse came to Kenosha from Illinois armed with a rifle, and that night shot and killed two men and wounded a third."
The report goes on to note that Mathewson previously served as an alderman and his appointment includes appearing a spokesperson for the emergency committee.
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