(Headline USA) Scores of police supporters gathered Sunday in downtown Kenosha where there have been protests and violence following the police shooting of Jacob Blake last weekend.
Some attending the rally in the Wisconsin city wore “back the blue” shirts. Others carried American flags. They applauded when law enforcement vehicles rolled by.
“With the things that they face on a daily basis, they need that little extra push of love and to show that they are needed,” said Jennifer Peyton, 44, who attended the rally.
“I mean, if you went in to work every day, and you were told that you were bad or had things thrown at you, I think it would weigh on your psyche a little bit, too,” she said.
A Kenosha police officer shot Blake, leaving the 29-year-old black man paralyzed, after he fought with police and disobeyed their commands.
Authorities say a teenager from northern Illinois shot and killed two rioters in Kenosha on Tuesday night.
A 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. state of emergency curfew that was set to expire Sunday has been extended through 7 a.m. Wednesday, the Kenosha County sheriff’s office said.
Blake was shot after three Kenosha officers responded to a domestic dispute call.
The city’s mayor, John Antaramian, said Sunday that he will ask the state for $30 million to rebuild parts of Kenosha destroyed or damaged by the violence, according to the Kenosha News.
President Donald Trump has spoken out against the riots. He is expected to visit Kenosha on Tuesday to meet with law enforcement and survey damage from the demonstrations.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, wrote to Trump on Sunday, urging the president to reconsider his plans to visit Kenosha.
“I, along with other community leaders who have reached out, are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our state,” Evers wrote.
“I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing. I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together,” he continued.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.
