English, a former Senior Field Organizer with the ACLU of Wisconsin was shot twice in late August while door dashing in the Northside of Milwaukee.
By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
September 3, 2022
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Thursday, Jarrett English, 40, posted on his Facebook account that he had been shot twice (once in the hand and leg) and is going through economic hardship to pay medical bills. English is a well known local community activist and is the current Director of Housing Development at METCALFE Park Community Bridges, Inc., also he was the former Senior Field Organizer for the ACLU of Wisconsin.
According to the Milwaukee Police report, on August 27, 2022 at around 11:55 p.m. English became the victim of a shooting incident while door dashing. English was reported shot multiple times at the 4400 block of W. Center Street as he exited his vehicle, which his vehicle also showed multiple gunshot impacts as well. He suffered critical injuries in his leg and hand, but survived and is now recuperating.
Police have an ongoing investigation to locate the suspect(s) involved in the shooting.
Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) reached out to English via Messenger unsuccessfully on Saturday.
On Friday, Emilio de Torre, the Executive Director of Milwaukee Turners at Turner Hall posted on his personal Facebook account, Dear Friends, Our dear brother and community leader Jarrett English needs our assistance. This humble brilliant man is ALWAYS there for the people, and we need to support him now.
Recently, he was senselessly shot while driving and needs our support to help handle hospital bills and all of the other insane costs that pile up when some lunatic shoots you and your car up for no reason.
Please make a donation to his cashapp and share this widely.
Or you can Venmo me and I'll get it to him
@obscurios
He is too humble to ask, but I'm a loud friend.
English also posted the following message on his personal Facebook account, First and foremost, God is Good. I am here because of it and extremely thankful from the moment I stepped out of that car.
For my family and friends- I love you more than anything on this Earth.
Second, I don't typically put personal things on Facebook but I think it's important because it's part of the reality that is part of our city, and making it better than it is (which is absolutely necessary.)
The only way we will do anything about it is together...
I got shot. Twice.
Once in the leg and once in the hand. My car many more times. (I was door dashing at the time)
I'm not only ok. I'm Blessed. I won't say much about the incident itself on here, since the police are doing their thing, but needless to say- it was senseless and it was evil.
As I have when others have been through similar or worse situations, I've thought to myself, 'what leads someone to do something like that?'
There are many answers to that question, none that absolve whomever shot me from the directly evil personal choice of pulling that trigger, but there are quite a few answers we all are responsible for that could have stopped them, and may stop someone else, from picking up that gun in the first place. Those are answers we as a city have not provided.
As I deal with the unexpected toll, financial and otherwise, of all of this and healing mentally, spiritually, and physically, I want to make sure I heed the lesson, which will be life long.
I've been an organizer the last 15 years and a community focused housing developer the last 3 or 4 in addition to that. The main things this situation has taught me are the following: 1. Keep the Creator first, The Almighty is there when no one else can possibly be 2. Love your people more than seems possible, because it is and 3. Don't stop.
The only way any of this is going to get better is if we make it better. The only way to do that is doing together.
Thank you to the young man who stopped to help me tie my shirt as a tourniquet, thank you to the officers and EMS people who made sure I was safe and stabilized. Thank you to the dozens of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals who made sure I will make an absolute full recovery. I love you all.
Though I've spent significant (and worthy and necessary) time holding the institution of policing accountable- and will continue to do so- it's not a contradiction to love the people within it. Those 3 officers will always be cool with me.
To my family and the friends who have heeded my desire to keep this private until I was ready to talk about it, thank you. I will always treasure your love and support.
I'm recovering for a little but after that the mission is to keep building.
Regardless of economic status, race, and ethnicity.
No one in Milwaukee should have to live with the constant threat of violence, Period.
We need to exorcize all those demons of self and otherwise hate and immunize our city against the evil of both the specific and indiscriminate bullet. Because everyone deserves peace.
I'll see you all soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment