Racial Assault In Wisconsin

Where is Eric Holder? Oh, the assault was by black people against white people. Nothing to see here. Please move along.

Police from three jurisdictions - West Allis, Milwaukee and Wisconsin State Fair police - spent Friday morning piecing together a series of incidents late Thursday night at the Wisconsin State Fair in which large groups of youths rampaged through the Midway and outside the grounds after closing.

Officials could not say what started what witnesses said was a series of racially charged incidents that apparently began as early as 7 p.m. in the Midway. The Midway is located just east of the Pettit National Ice Center and adjacent to the Hank Aaron Bike Trail.

Milwaukee police confirmed there were assaults outside the fair as the fair was closing down. The fair closes at 11 p.m.


Witnesses told WTMJ-AM (Radio 620) that dozens to hundreds of young blacks were beating white people as they left the fair late Thursday night. Patrice Harris, a Fair spokeswoman, said a police alert she was given indicated four people were hurt.

"It looked like they were just going after white guys, white people," Norb Roffers of Wind Lake told WTMJ-AM. He said he left the State Fair entrance near the corner of S. 84th Street and W. Schlinger Avenue in West Allis.

One eyewitness, a concession worker who works near the Midway area, told the Journal Sentinel that large groups of African-American youths ran through the Midway area, knocking over young children and adults, disrupting Midway rides and tearing signs up.

"I have never seen anything like it," the worker said. "It was mob mentality."

The concession worker said the incidents began at 7 p.m. "All of a sudden a wave of kids were running through the Midway," he said.