Approximately 40 people have been charged with crimes committed during recent protests in Milwaukee, the district attorney's office said Tuesday.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office said charged these individuals with charges related to looting, theft and property damage to Milwaukee businesses. Protests stretched over the span of several days in various parts of the city in the wake of the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25. A few were charged with people using vehicles recklessly to endanger others.
"The mission of the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office is to protect public safety while respecting our citizens' civil liberties," the office said in a release. "We do not criminally prosecute people for exercising their right to peacefully protest."
Some individuals, according to the DA's office, received non-criminal citations from the Milwaukee Police Department. Those citations would be reviewed by the Milwaukee City Attorney's Office.
Most of the individuals charged are not in custody, the office said.
