Tim Carpenter is a Democratic state senator from Wisconsin and one of only four openly LGBTQ members in his state’s legislature. Last night, he was viciously assaulted and knocked unconscious after taking a photo of protesters in Madison.
The protesters were responding to the arrest of Devonere Johnson, a 28-year-old activist who was taken into custody after he entered a restaurant with a megaphone and a baseball bat.
Gathering around the Capitol building, they smashed windows and lights and tore down two statues, including one of abolitionist Col. Hans Christian Heg, who fought and died for the Union during the Civil War.
After a disturbing image of Carpenter lying unconscious on the ground was posted to Twitter by a local reporter, the 60-year-old lawmaker explained that eight to ten people rushed towards him at the protests. He says he was punched and kicked in the head, chest, and neck.
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I took this pic- it got me assaulted & beat up. Punched/kicked in the head, neck, ribs. Maybe concussion, socked in left eye is little blurry, sore neck & ribs. 8-10 people attacked me. Innocent people are going to get killed. Capitol locked- stuck in office.Stop violence nowPlz! pic.twitter.com/Zw2hdfYG66
— Tim Carpenter (@TimCarpenterMKE) June 24, 2020
“I don’t know what happened… all I did was stop and take a picture… and the next thing I’m getting five-six punches, getting kicked in the head,” Carpenter tells the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
The attack left him with several injuries, including bruising, blurry vision, soreness, and a possible concussion.
.@TimCarpenterMKE was just punched in the face by Madison protesters because he was filming. Several people attacked him. pic.twitter.com/jyGIfe0Ogq
— Dylan Brogan (@telldylan) June 24, 2020
This is the picture that got me assaulted and beat up by a mob. Punched & kicked in the head. Might have concussion, left eye a little blurry, cheek shollen, sore neck and ribs. This has to stop before some innocent person get killed. I locked up in the Capitol until it’s safe
— Tim Carpenter (@TimCarpenterMKE) June 24, 2020
Despite being attacked, Carpenter says he is still “on their side for peaceful demonstrations.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Tony Evers urged people to practice non-violence.
“I want to be clear: violence against any person — whether in the middle of the street in broad daylight, at home trying to sleep, going for a run, or happening upon a protest as was the case last night — is wrong,” he said in a statement. “It should never be tolerated.”
Related: White supremacists wave bats and shout antigay slurs at peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters
jayceecook
They also beheaded it and threw it in a lake. They tore down the “Forward” statue which is of a woman, made by a woman in the 1800s as a symbol of progress and devotion. Plus started a fire. Plus broke into a private residence and surrounded a man in his car to the point where he had to get out and flee.
Hans Christian Heg was an anti-slavery activist and leader of an anti-slave catcher militia in Wisconsin who who fought for the Union and died from injuries suffered during the Battle of Chickamauga.
“Protesters” across the country are now coming for Lincoln. He was racist, didn’t actually want to free the slaves and supported the Confederates. He only pretended to be against it to advance his political career. He didn’t do anything to help free the slaves because they freed themselves. Sorry John Wilkes Booth. You did all that for a compatriot!
Chrisk
Yeah, go after Lincoln Protesters. That will end your “protest” over night.
jayceecook
@Chrisk Oh they are. At least there is a segment of the movement wanting to. Calling for it. Just hop on Twitter or Instagram for 5-10 minutes and you’ll see it.
They are also trying to blame this guy they attacked. Saying he provoked them so he deserved it. Yet with so many cameras around these days ready to catch and cancel people nobody has released any footage of that.
Chrisk
What a bunch of dumb shits. Yeah, let’s turn the whole country against us with tearing down revered statues and assaulting politicians most likely on your side. They’re too stupid to realize their only helping to give Donnie another 4 years. Great strategy.
Hopefully they at least catch up to the ones that did the assault and throw the book at them.
tjack47
These “protestors” aren’t all violent, but I’d like to see these hooligans jailed and fined having to pay restitution and medical expenses.
wiggie
they hijacked a real world-wide protest for justice and social changed and made it an excuse to do all types of damage. Thanks alot.
trsxyz
It’s a shame that these morons are hijacking what had been a legitimate protest for justice. Will someone from leadership please speak-up and discredit these idiots?
TonyPSP
“This has to stop before some innocent person get killed.” Too late innocent people already being killed. That big Sasquatch should be locked up.
sillyme
They need to protest in a better way and get the jerks who did all the damage to everything and not only fine them and have them pay for everything they destroyed but then kick them into a 3rd world country where they will have to work to stay alive and feed themselves and learn a new language and has no help from government facilities like we do here.
Desiderata
Why isn’t this being investigated as a hate crime? Isn’t it likely at least one of the attackers knew who Tim Carpenter was and joined in the attack based on his sexual identity?
Daniel
Mob violence……no thought given, just destroy, burn, etc……same drill as in Minneapolis and elsewhere and this guy was unfortuntately at the wrong place at the wrong time. Time to bring the hammer down on the mob with mass arrests. This is getting out of hand. Whatever the violent mob gets vis-a-vis arrests, fines and sentences will likely be way too lenient. Enough is enough. Whatever point they wanted to get across has been duly noted. It’s no longer about BLM, George Floyd, or…….. it’s political and aimed at our governmental institutions with shadows of Mussolini’s Black Shirts or Hitler’s Brown Shirts.
andrewl
My God the US is turning into a broken country with hate and intolerance from all sides. What hope do you have when your president is actively promoting disunity, discord and sowing chaos to improve his chances of re election. What a basket case, alas in a democracy you get the government you deserve.
Gay Thomas
I’m ready to move from this Trump/Republican shithole. If he wins again, I am so out of here.
Aires the Ram
You mean along with all the Hollywood “elites” who were going to do that when George W won his 2nd term? You mean along with all the Hollywood “elites” who were going to do that when Trump won in 2016? Hmmmmm, funny thing is, it was all bulls*^it so they could garner attention and make the news. They never left.
But if you decide to, there’s millions around the world who’d love to come here in your place.