The entrepreneur rapper and Team Roc — the social justice arm of Roc Nation that Jay-Z founded — offered their support after learning that no charges were brought against Joseph Mensah, the officer who shot Cole on February 2.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John T. Chisholm said there was “sufficient evidence” showing that Mensah believed deadly force was necessary and “that belief was objectively reasonable.”
Some two dozen people were arrested Thursday, two of whom asked for medical attention, Wauwatosa police said in a news release Friday. Alvin’s mother and sisters were also arrested.
“Our hearts break for the family of Alvin Cole and the Wauwatosa community,” Dania Diaz, director of Team Roc, said in a statement. “Not only did the District Attorney’s Office fail to hold Officer Joseph Mensah accountable for killing Alvin, but the local police also arrested and injured Alvin’s mother Tracy and his sisters as they peacefully protested alongside Jacob Blake’s father.”
Jay-Z and Team Roc are also calling on Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the shooting.
In July, Jay-Z took out a full-page ad in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel calling for Mensah’s prosecution.
CNN’s Mallika Kallingal, Sara Sidner and Joe Sutton contributed to this report.