Source: Chicago Tribune / Getty
Gaige Grosskreutz survived his encounter with Kyle Rittenhouse and is now suing the Kenosha Police Department. Grosskreutz alleges the police invited an environment that allowed for a violent white supremacist to cause harm.
As reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the lawsuit claims in part that law enforcement effectively conspired with white supremacist groups during the protest. By acknowledging the presence of armed white vigilantes, law enforcement gave the perception that such action was welcome according to the lawsuit.
Grosskreutz is one of three people shot by Rittenhouse and the only one to survive. Filed Thursday, the lawsuit targets the city of Kenosha, Kenosha County, the former chief of police, acting chief of police, and county sheriff.
By way of his attorneys, Grosskreutz argued that law enforcement knew that militia members were coming into Kenosha and did nothing to dissuade them.
Recounting the events leading up to Rittenhouse’s attack, the complaint opens with a widely reported quote from Kenosha law enforcement officers.
“We appreciate you guys – we really do.”
The introduction to the complaint continues:
These were the words of Kenosha law enforcement officers – words of encouragement, appreciation, and thanks, spoken to Kyle Rittenhouse and a band of white nationalist vigilantes on the evening of August 25, 2020. Earlier in the evening Kenosha law enforcement officers and white nationalist militia persons discussed and coordinated strategy.
It was not a mistake that Kyle Rittenhouse would kill two people and maim a third on that evening. It was a natural consequence of the actions of the Kenosha Police Department and Kenosha Sherriff’s office in deputizing a roving militia to “protect property” and “assist in maintaining order.
A video surfaced last year of law enforcement thanking a group of armed white men for helping to patrol. Accounts also indicate law enforcement offered those gathered water.
While there is a long history of police consorting with racist vigilante groups, the incident served to remind the deeply entrenched white supremacy in some police departments.
Released a few days after Kenosha law enforcement thanked militia members, a Brennan Center report highlighted the history of law enforcement’s fraternization with violent racist groups.
“While it is widely acknowledged that racist officers subsist within police departments around the country, federal, state, and local governments are doing far too little to proactively identify them, report their behavior to prosecutors who might unwittingly rely on their testimony in criminal cases, or protect the diverse communities they are sworn to serve,” read the report.
See also:
DOJ Says Jacob Blake Being Shot In The Back 7 Times On Video Isn’t Proof Of Excessive Force
Violent White Folks Who Were Taken Into Custody With Loving Care By Police
32 photos Launch gallery
2. Floyd Ray Roseberry
NEW: “The revolution is on. It’s here… I’m ready to die for the cause.”
Here’s video from the man who said he’s got a bomb outside the Capitol.
Follow @huffpost and @sara_bee for more as the situation develops. pic.twitter.com/aRx1hES7Vl
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 19, 2021
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3. Jeffrey Nicholas
Jeffrey Nicholas, a white man shot and killed two police officers and injured a city worker in Texas before he was able to be safely apprehended without law enforcement resorting to using lethal force.https://t.co/sLhFwxZHgg pic.twitter.com/yWd0XUg7Og
— NewsOne (@newsone) May 13, 2021
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4. Robert Aaron Long, suspect in Asian massage parlor killing spree in GA
Source:Crisp County Sheriff’s Office
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5. Duke Webb, bowling alley gunman in Rockford, Illinois
Source:Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office
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6. Car Drives Into Group Of Protesters In New York
Source:Getty
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7. Brad Parscale, demoted former Trump campaign manager
Source:Getty
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8. Brett Hankison
Source:Shelby County Sheriff’s Department
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10. Dalton Potter allegedly shot a cop and another man
BLUE ALERT issued for Dalton Potter, age 29. Potter is suspected of shooting a Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office deputy overnight. Last known to be on foot on Interstate 75 at the Whitfield/Gordon County line. Potter is considered armed and dangerous. Call 911. #BlueAlert pic.twitter.com/Vdyl8ReGaW
— GA Bureau of Investigation (@GBI_GA) September 7, 2020
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11. White suspect physically attacking officer
Interesting.
Thinking about Jacob Blake right now. Sure seems like white people get the benefit of the doubt when engaged with the police… pic.twitter.com/kLh9iCJepp
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) August 30, 2020
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12. Kyle Rittenhouse, Kenosha Jacob Blake shooter
Source:Twitter
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13. White supremacist who beat a woman on video
Nicholas Arnold Schock, 36, of Wauchula was arrested and charged with battery and disturbing the peace and bail was set at $620. He remains at the Sarasota County Jail. pic.twitter.com/ggDBjAxCN1
— Carlos R. Munoz 📰 (@ReadCarlos) August 2, 2020
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14. West Hollywood shooter
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15. Gregory and Travis McMichaels
Source:Glynn County Sheriff’s Office
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16. Anthony J. Trifiletti, shot an unarmed Black man
Source:Saint Paul Police Department
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17. Matthew Bernard, Killed Three People
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20. Lorne Brown
Source:NBC Miami
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21. Patrick Crusius, El Paso Mall Mass Shooting Suspect
Patrick Crusius allegedly wrote a racist manifesto before killing at least 18 people in Saturday’s shooting at Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso. The suspect, a white male, was safely taken into custody.
This is America. #Walmartshooting #ElPasoShootinghttps://t.co/cjYzJZsCXn
— NewsOne (@newsone) August 3, 2019
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22. Aaron Dean
Source:Tarrant County Jail
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26. Dylann Roof
Source:Getty
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27. Matthew Sloan Punched And Spit On Police…
Again, if Matthew Sloan was a Black man this would be a much different story. https://t.co/K4cwb6SQ38
— NewsOne (@newsone) July 12, 2019
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28. Assaulted Police And Even Chased Them…
This man never complied
This man actually hit police multiple times
This man chased police and made them fear for safety
This man was not killed!Pamela Turner was murdered and pregnant, she was never given the same opportunity. WHY? @KingJamespic.twitter.com/DfzdICbOy8
— Gambling Refund 💵™ (@OffshoreRefund) May 14, 2019
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29. Shot At Police At Trump Tower…
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30. Shot At Police At Walmart — And Was Let Go…
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31. Man Holds Black Man At Gunpoint And He Is Calmly Arrested…
Downtown CHARLOTTESVILLE right now. F*ing white trash has a black man submitted first with a knife around his neck, then makes him kneel still threatening to stab him.
Please, Twitter do your thing in the name of justice #resist @washingtonpost @MSNBC pic.twitter.com/klg7g5ac22— ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝕓𝕚𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕒𝕣 𝕥𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪 (@tomorrowtambien) December 28, 2018
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32. Grady Wayne Wilkes
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Man Shot By Kyle Rittenhouse Is Suing Kenosha Police for Enabling Violent White Supremacist
was originally published on
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