June 30, 2021 4:50p
(WGTD)---Members of the Kenosha Democratic legislative delegation are defending Gov. Evers against renewed claims by Republicans that the Democratic governor was slow to respond to last summer’s riots in Kenosha.
State Senator Bob Wirch says the allegation simply just isn’t true. He cites comments made at the time by both city and county officials praising the National Guard response to the riots.
Evers sent the Guard’s rapid response team to Kenosha the day after the Jacob Blake shooting. The force was beefed up in subsequent days.
The Guard’s stated mission at the time was to protect government-owned buildings and other institutions, and serve as back-up to local law enforcement. Guardsmen were prohibited from making arrests.
In a phone interview with WGTD, Wirch was asked to comment in hindsight if anything could’ve been done differently. "I think, especially on the third night, that police should've been doing more questioning of suspicious individuals who were out there including people carrying guns. I think that would've been a better police tactic," he said.
Wirch said he believes Republicans are trying to rewrite history for future electoral gains.
In a news release, Republican State Senator Van Wanggaard says it’s the Democrats who are trying to spin the story.
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