A judge dismissed the most serious charge against a man accused of shooting a civil rights activist during a confrontation with a group of marchers on their way to Washington D.C.
Municipal Court Judge William Austin Meehan ruled Monday that ex-SWAT officer Richard Paul Nicoletti had been authorized by his commanders to clear the highway during protests over the death of George Floyd and had been given pepper spray as a tool to do so.
The “Americans For Freedom” rally called for the end of a statewide mask mandate and other mitigation practices put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The cuts would be to clerical, custodial and maintenance workers.
Rittenhouse is charged with multiple counts, including homicide, in connection with the protests in August in Kenosha. The demonstrations began after a white police officer shot Jacob Blake, who is Black, in the back during a domestic disturbance, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
Troy Thompson with the Department of General Services, which oversees Capitol Police, said there are additional officers inside and out, and barriers have been erected in recent days.
Police in cities that dealt with large-scale protests over the last several months said they are approaching the coming days calmly, while on the lookout for possible threats.
