A month after the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial was vandalized outside the Capitol, a vigil was held to show support for fallen Wisconsin police officers who died in the line of duty.
The event was organized by the group We Support the Madison Police Department. It was in reaction to graffiti that was sprayed on the memorial in September.
Red spray paint spelled out “Justice for Anthony Smith.” It was in reference to the acquittal of former St. Louis Officer Jason Stockley in the shooting death of Anthony Smith. The organizers of the event said they want to put that incident behind them and focus on the 273 names of the fallen Wisconsin police officers on the memorial.
“There’s still a lot of hurt in law enforcement and we wanted to do something to solidify the community and show the support,” Paula Fitzsimmons of We Support the Madison Police Department.