Milwaukee, WI – On February 2, 2020, Officer Joseph Anthony Mensah of the Wauwatosa Police Department (WPD) shot Alvin in the back several times as he was running away. Alvin was yelling to the police, “No gun, no gun!” right before Officer Mensah murdered him. He was 17 years old, set to graduate high school and attend Jackson State University.
At 4 PM on Saturday, June 6, members of the Cole family, together with members of MAARPR and supporters from the broader Milwaukee area community, will gather at the intersection of North 76th Street & West Burleigh Street for a demonstration, called “March for Thee Three”, including both a rally and march.
The purpose of the action is to seek truth, justice, and change. For too long, the Cole family has been kept uninformed about the details surrounding Alvin’s murder. For too long, the Cole family has been told to stay quiet. But with the information finally being released to the Cole family about who was responsible for Alvin’s murder, they have decided that silence is no longer an option.
The demands being put forward by the Cole family at this demonstration are thus: 1) Immediate termination of Officer Mensah from the WPD; 2) Indictment for the murders of Alvin Cole, Jay Anderson, Jr., and Antonio Gonzales; 3) Conviction on the charge of murder; 4) The release to the public of all materials related to the investigation of Alvin’s case; 5) Body cameras for all officers of the WPD, to be on their persons and have them turned on at all times; and, lastly, 6) Community control of the police through the creation of an all-elected Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) in the City of Milwaukee.
Anything short of these demands being met is an injustice. The Cole family, their allies in the Milwaukee Alliance, and supporters in the community recognize that the struggle for justice is a long one, a hard one, but it is a righteous one. Until there is justice, there will be no peace.
