By Police1 Staff
MADISON, Wis. — Capitol police are investigating an act of vandalism on a law enforcement memorial.
Officials told WKOW they believe someone sprayed “Justice4AnthonySmith” on the law enforcement memorial sometime on Friday night. They believe the reference is to the case of former St. Louis Police Officer Jason Stockley, who was acquitted by a judge Friday of the 2011 death of Anthony Lamar Smith.
The memorial honors law enforcement officers statewide who have died in the line of duty. Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial Chairman Craig Kolbeck said that the vandalism is extremely offensive.
“I’m really upset by this. It doesn’t only affect myself or the board. There are currently 273 names of men and women that were killed in the line of duty and gave their lives and are on that memorial,” Kolbeck said.
https://twitter.com/WisconsinDOA/status/909084682217652224
The state police union president Jim Palmer said in a statement Sunday that the graffiti “is not only a slap in the face to all those in law enforcement, both past and present, but to the freedoms that their courage preserves each and every day as well.”
“This a disgraceful and unconscionable desecration to the officers of every race, creed and color recognized on this memorial for paying the ultimate sacrifice in service to their communities,” the statement read. “In the days to come, may the expressions of those that understand and respect the vital role our officers play in society reverberate and serve to drown out the cowardly few who use graffiti under the cover of darkness to display their ignorant disrespect and their fundamental misunderstanding of the paramount importance of the valor and honor of the courageous officers working to keep our streets safe.”
City officials are working on cleaning the memorial as soon as possible. Those with any information are asked to call the Capitol Police.