KENOSHA, Wis. — RegiMen Barber Collective owner Alvin Owens is often as much of a listener as he is a barber.
And he knows there’s work to be done in his community.
“I grew up here and there’s definitely a black Kenosha and a white Kenosha and then there’s Kenosha,” Owens said. “And I’m not going to shy away from saying that. There is some major difference here that we have to work on.”
A popular barbershop topic on Friday was the Kenosha District Attorney’s office dropping charges against a Zion, Ill. couple arrested in a Kenosha Applebee's and charged with multiple crimes.
Jermelle English, 24, and Shanya Boyd, 22, were having dinner with their one-month-old son when Kenosha Police mistakenly believed they were involved in a hit-and-run incident.
While the real suspect hid in the restaurant bathroom, the couple was peppered sprayed and arrested for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstructing an officer.
The incident was captured on video and shared on social media.
“Within my community, I’m speaking about my own backyard, we have to just be consistent,” Owens said. “But also Kenosha as a whole needs to acknowledge that things are unfair.”
Many in the community were confused why English and Boyd were charged in the first place.
“How can you charge a couple for resisting an unwarranted arrest?" Kenosha’s Madison Moore asked.
“They knew that they were not in the wrong. They were polite. They didn’t want to talk about it. They’re sitting there having a meal with their baby…clearly not on the run.”
Kenosha Police suspended both officers involved in the incident due to violating department protocol.
"Unfortunately, for my community, this is something that happens too often,” Owens said.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
