KENOSHA, Wis. – Today, Fond du Lac District Attorney and law enforcement’s choice for Attorney General, Eric Toney, participated in a tour led by Kenosha Police and a roundtable on public safety, where he, along with gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels and Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01), heard from selected witnesses – police officers, business owners, and county government officials, on the two-year anniversary of the officer involved shooting in Kenosha and the chaos that ensued.

Toney released the following statement:

“On August 23, 2020, Josh Kaul failed Kenosha and Wisconsin. Kaul had to have known Jacob Blake was armed with a knife because he was investigating the shooting. Kaul sat silently as Tony Evers rushed to judgment by condemning and convicting the police officer involved in the shooting with no facts. Kaul should have forcefully pushed back against Evers and told the world what Evers  said was not true, there are more facts, to remain calm, and allow the integrity of investigation to be protected. Instead, he said nothing that night knowing the Governor was wrong.
“Kaul was MIA for Kenosha and our law enforcement when they needed him the most. By failing to rebuke Governor Evers’ factually incorrect and dangerous comments, he failed Wisconsin and contributed to the lawlessness and violence that ensued.
“On January 5, 2021, the Kenosha County District Attorney explained why the shooting of Jacob Blake was justified and no charges would be filed against the officer. Kaul was nowhere to be found at that announcement because it didn’t the fit the narrative he desperately hoped for. The decision not to prosecute the officer was rooted in the law and the legal principles of self-defense and defense of others in relation to the safety of the police officers and the children in the vehicle.
“We know Jacob Blake was wanted on a felony sexual assault warrant, resisted arrest, and there were multiple efforts to tase him. We also know, while armed with a knife, Blake attempted to enter a vehicle with children in it. The officer tried to stop Blake and Blake began to turn toward the officer directing the blade of knife toward the officer. That is when the officer fired, to defend himself and the children in the vehicle.
“The world should be asking why Josh Kaul was silent while armed with these facts. Kaul’s inaction is shameful and we must hold him accountable as he played politics with public safety and Kenosha burned.
“Wisconsin needs leaders that will enforce the rule of law and stand with our law enforcement. Political rhetoric and failures of Evers and Kaul have contributed to historic violence and a drug epidemic in Wisconsin. I have a proven track record of standing up for the rule of law and locking up dangerous criminals and when I am elected Attorney General, I will do just that.”
District Attorney Eric Toney is endorsed by over 100 Sheriffs, District Attorneys, and Police Chiefs, and has been unanimously endorsed by the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge, the Milwaukee Police Association, the Racine Police Association, and the Milwaukee Police Supervisors Organization.
To learn more about why Eric Toney is running for Attorney General, along with his background and vision for Wisconsin, click here.
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