Journalist pulls out of Milwaukee over escalating racial tensions

Source: The Hill | August 15, 2016 | Rebecca Savransky

A journalist who has covered a number of protests is leaving Milwaukee.

In a video he posted on Twitter, Tim Pool said he could no longer report from the scene in Milwaukee, where an officer on Saturday fatally shot a 23-year-old man who officials said was armed and had a criminal record, according to ABC News.

“I am going to be leaving. I will no longer cover what is happening here,” Pool said at the beginning of a video he posted on Monday.

“There has been rioting following the death of a man at the hands of the police. Buildings have been burned down, several arrests, officers injured. We saw rocks being thrown at cops, and it culminated with an 18-year-old white kid being shot in the neck yesterday.”

Pool, 30, said that when he arrived in Milwaukee, things began to get “tense.” People were shouting things such as “white people suck” and targeting several reporters in a violent manner.

“Things got to the point where I started to question whether or not I should be here when I saw an 18-year-old white kid holding his neck. … This is the person we believe to be the shooting victim from last night,” Pool said.

“There’s enough people who are screaming things about white people and reporters being attacked — and then hearing that it was a white kid who got shot, I think for those that are perceivably white, it is just not safe to be here, and that’s why I’m deciding to leave.”

Pool said he doesn’t think it’s “safe” or “smart” for him to be there anymore. People on social media, he said, warned him that it was becoming too dangerous and encouraged him to pull out.

“I think it’s safe to say that it has become particularly dangerous,” he said. “It’s become a particularly dangerous racial issue, and I’m going to be leaving Milwaukee.”

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