RACINE — Sunday night protests led to vandalism, looting, and arson in the city of Racine.
"Why is y'all doing this... it don't make no sense," Joyce Howell from Racine said who watched the Thelma Orr Community Policing House burn at around 2:30 a.m.
Police Chief Art Howell was one who stopped by to assess the damage of the destruction.
"The people who came into this community and perpetrated this act made a tactical error," Chief Howell said.
He called the destruction "beyond upsetting" because the building is named after Racine civil rights activist Thelma Orr.
Orr had a profound impact in recruiting African-Americans to the Racine Police Department including Chief Howell.
"We lost more than a building. It was a desecration to Thelma Orr's memory," Howell said.
In addition to the community policing building, nine businesses were damaged and looted.
Chief Howell said the daytime protests in Racine have been peaceful but when the sun goes down things changed. He said he believes people form outside the Racine area responsible for the nighttime violence.
"Anyone who is from this community, would not do that to the Thelma Orr COP house," said Howell.
The mayor has asked locals to kneel or light a candle for nine minutes Tuesday at 6 p.m. to honor George Floyd.
