In the wake of the death of George Floyd in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, 2020, protests have sprung up around the world denouncing the use of force by police and calling for change. People of all races and beliefs have joined together in a call for change by marching together as a show of solidarity and to stand against unequal justice that minorities face in the U.S.

Even though most protests have been peaceful, there are still instances of senseless violence. Unfortunately, one of those incidents involved a German shepherd that was shot during protests on the streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

A German shepherd is shot following an altercation

According to police, a dog was shot following an altercation between a member of a group of cars following behind the protesters and an area resident. Some of the cars in the caravan had been driving recklessly on the sidewalk, with the driver of one car confronted by the resident after he had nearly been hit while walking his dog.

A person within that car then shot the dog, injuring the 14-year-old German shepherd. Unfortunately, the dog had to later be euthanized due to the extent of the injuries.

“What is peaceful about a group of people marching (Monday) night at 11:00 p.m. … when an individual from that crowd goes to a resident and shoots their dog?” Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales told WTMJ.

So far, there have been no arrests in the shooting and the suspect is still at large with investigators still attempting to find whoever shot the dog.

The protests in Milwaukee

The protesters were out in force that night despite a 9 p.m. curfew. Eventually, the march ended at around 3 a.m. the following morning when police broke up the remaining marchers and drivers with spike strips and tear gas.

In a press conference the afternoon before the shooting happened, Morales had compared the vehicles involved in the protests as dangerous weapons, likening them to “4,000-pound bullets.” The city had been seeing an increase in the number of incidents of reckless driving and collisions in recent years.

Marching in peace

Protest leader Frank Nitty said that the individuals committing violent acts, such as the ones involved in the altercation, don’t represent the group of protesters.

“We are not trying to break any laws, but we have to push back a little bit,” said Nitty. “We are not trying to burn anything down; we are being peaceful.”

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According to the police department, many of the incidents involving acts of vandalism and looting have been away from the protesters. It is believed that many involved in these acts are from out of town and are criminals who are just taking advantage of the situation. Morales said that the situation as a whole was “tense and scary.”

Despite incidents like the shooting, there have been fewer in the wake of the Monday night curfew. As such, Mayor Tom Barrett declined to issue a curfew for the following night.

H/T: Urban Milwaukee, 620WTMJ