More than 600 people marched about a
mile in the cold Thursday to protest last month's fatal police shooting
of a mentally ill man after he shot at officers entering his home. Lo
Neng Kiatoukaysy, executive director of the Hmong American Friendship
Association Inc., and one of the organizers of the protest, said the
Hmong community has been outraged over the shooting of Tou Yang and
rallied together as never before to voice concern and seek changes in
how police deal with minorities and the mentally ill. Yang, 36, was
shot at his west side home Jan. 20 following a three-hour standoff with
police, who said they shot him after he fired at them. Earlier, a
social worker had gone to the Hmong man's home to check on his three
children, who had not been attending school or scheduled medical
appointments, police said. Yang's uncle, Norman Kong, said Yang was a
paranoid schizophrenic and was afraid that he, his children and other
Hmong would be killed. Yang died Jan. 26 of multiple gunshot wounds. No
police officers were injured. This month, a special prosecutor ruled
that the shooting of Yang was justified. Police Chief Nannette Hegerty
said Thursday that Racine County District Attorney Michael Nieskes said
in a letter to her that the officers were "clearly in a dangerous and
volatile situation" and fired only after being shot at by Yang. Hegerty said the three
officers involved have returned to duty. Kiatoukaysy said a delegation
of Hmong met with Hegerty last week but were not satisfied with her
response. The march was planned to show their concern and anger over
Yang's death. Marchers carried placards with Yang's picture, targets
with bullet holes and sentiments such as "Stop Police Brutality." They
shouted "No justice, no peace" in English and Hmong. [more] and [more]
- Man shot in gunfight with police dies [more]
- Pictured above: Xai
Lee and other members of Milwaukee’s Hmong community on Thursday gather
for a protest march outside the home of Tou Yang, a mentally ill man
who was fatally shot by Milwaukee police on Jan. 20 after he fired on
officers. The march ended at the Police Administration Building
downtown.