Record an Urban Riot, 1967
As the focus of the
struggle for equality shifted from the South to the North and from civil rights
to economic justice, the level of anger and frustration steadily mounted,
exploding in the mid-1960s in a series of riots (some called them “rebellions’)
that convulsed almost every major city in the United States. The following document, reprinted from the Milwaukee Journal, logs the reports by police and fire fighters
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during a riot that erupted late at night on July 30,
1967. The riot described in these logs
was not the first and by no means the most violent among the wave of civil
unrest that broke began in 1964 and continued in the years that followed,
climaxing in the massive rioting that followed the assassination of Martin
Luther King in 1968. [rg]
Police and fire department
radios blared out the urgent messages as the tempo of the riot built up Sunday
night and Monday. The radios of the two departments were the only sure way to
keep track of the riot's size and the direction it moved.
Not all of the calls could
be heard because of different frequencies used to broadcast. Two that could be
heard indicated the scope of the rioting.
The radio calls were
monitored from
11:42‑Rubbish fire
2400 N. 3d st.
11:45‑Get some help at
3rd and Lloyd; the fire's out of control.
11:45‑Rubbish fire
extinguished at 3rd and McKinley.
11:46‑Garage fire at
21st and Concordia.
11:50‑They're
beginning to loot at 3rd and Brown.
11:51‑We're pulling
the beat man out at 3rd and Wright. We're getting nailed pretty hard. Watch
out!
11:51‑Unconfirmed
report of squad car tipped over.
11:52‑Have Chief Breier call the mayor or his administrator.
11:54‑Kids throwing
stones at passing cars on foot bridge over 6th st., just south of North av.
11:54‑Notify owner
show window broken at appliance store 3356
11:56‑Man shot at 3rd
and Vine. Send ambulance. (Believed to be a looter.)
11:56‑Battalion 2
reported from a fire scene that it needed protection.
11:57‑Crowds out of
control at Meinecke and Wright. Looting
going on.
11:58‑Businessman
trapped in building at 2555 N. 3rd st. Being pummeled
by rocks.
12:03‑Fire 3rd and Meinecke, Martin service station.
12:05‑Fires in alley
2300 block of N. 3rd.
12:08‑See if you can
raise some ministers.
12:09‑‑Group
breaking into convalescent home at 107 E.
12:10‑Box alarm of
fire N. 5th and Vliet sts.
12:11‑Sheriff's
department advises 50 men standing by waiting for chief's order.
12:15‑No. S captain
advises that four reverends are on the way to the command post.
12:16‑Burglary in
progress at 13th and Burleigh.
12:16‑Merchants police
alarm at 2741
12:17‑Halyard and
Lloyd, about SO youths stoning automobiles.
12:20‑Burglary in
progress at 2401 N. 3rd st.
12:24‑Wagonload of
patrolmen need helmets.
12:25‑Call for fire
department, rear of 2300 N. 3rd st. Also need
additional officers.
12:26‑Group going
toward
12:28‑1900 N. Buffum, another fire set.
12:28‑Gang beating a
white man at 4th and Wright.
12:28‑Fire at National
Food store, 2354 N. 3rd st.
12:28‑2741 N. Teutonia. They've smashed windows wide open. Notify the
owner.
12:30‑Request
12:31‑3rd and
12:32‑Get hold of
sheriff's department hard helmets and bring them to command post.
12:32‑Cars being set
on fire 16th and Vliet.
12:33‑Fifth Dist.
police station being attacked. (The message was garbled.)
12:35‑They're breaking
into Badger Plating. 1300 N. Water.
12:36‑Telephone alarm
of fire at N. 16th and W. Vliet.
12:37‑Brink's called.
They want to move their trucks from 431 W.
12:40‑Report from
citizen that they've broken windows at Kaufman Motors at 3rd and Burleigh and
they're stealing motorcycles.
12:40‑Firemen report
that they are being stoned at 3rd and
12:40‑About 25 persons
are attacking a service station at 3rd and Burleigh.
12:42‑Request for more
squads at 15th and Vliet. A crowd is gathering.
12:44‑We need more
squads at 3200
12:44‑3rd and Burleigh
at the motorcycle shop. We've got motorcycles lying in the street.
12:46‑We've got a
large group of punks who need some attention at 1301 N. Center.
12:48‑Squad is stuck
in sand at 2nd and Meinecke.
12:49‑Check bank at
27th and Vliet. Auto seen fleeing
the scene.
12:50‑We have a report
of looters in a tavern. 3rd and
12:51‑More looting at
Woolworth's, 13th and Vliet.
12:52‑Large group at
12th and
12:53‑Check injured
man at 24th and
12:53‑Large group
breaking windows at 13th and Vliet.
12:58‑Telephone alarm
of fire, 3rd and
12:58‑Breaking
into Kellers, beer depot, 5th and Center.
12:59‑Injured
man, 12th and Lloyd.
12:59‑Plankinton
and
12:59‑Box alarm, 2nd and Chambers.
1:00‑Telephone alarm of fire, 2018 N. 5th st.
1:00‑Looting reported at 21st and Walnut.
1:00‑Group in white Cadillac throwing bricks and rocks at homes in the
2300 block of N. 20th.
1:00‑Pedestrian struck, 24th and
1:03‑Large group congregating at Teutonia and
Center.
1:04‑Auto accident, 12th and Lloyd. Passenger injured pretty badly.
1:04‑Burglar alarm, Sangor Drugs, 800 W. North
av.
1:05‑Reports of shooting at 2nd and
1:05‑Autos being tipped at 3rd and Meinecke.
1:05‑Two white males with rifles in the 2900 block of N. 3rd.
1:06‑Check 2nd and Wright. Report of woman being
beaten.
1:07‑Pedestrian struck 24th pl. and
1:08‑Report of gas pump burning, 16th and
1:08‑Report of looting, 12th and Cherry. 1:09‑We
have report of looting at 5th and North.
1:13‑Large group in parking lot with weapons at 2nd and
1:13‑Looting at Super America station, 17th and Atkinson.
1:14‑Groups throwing rocks at 6th and Cherry.
1:14‑Ambulance sent. 2nd and Meinecke.
1:15‑Box alarm of fire, 16th and
1:16‑They are entering grocery stores at 15th and Vliet
and 16th and Cherry.
1:17‑One reduced line (fire hose) working on buildings at 16th and
1:22‑Burglar alarm at Palay's Men's shop, 1200
W. Walnut st.
1:25‑Looting at store at 11th and Center.
1:27‑Group of 20 to 30 walking east on Meinecke
armed with bottles, bricks and weapons.
1:28‑Looting, Royal Cleaners, 5th and North.
1:30‑Accident, 10th and Ring.
1:31‑Sergeant reports that his group has no shotguns.
1:31‑Large group approaching Teutonia and
Center.
1:33‑Fifteen cars loaded with Negroes going west on North av.
1:37‑Group of 40 Negroes at 29th and Vliet.
1:38‑Squad at 14th and Walnut has prisoners.
1:39‑They're looting the Kohl's
1:40‑They're beating a woman at 5th and Wright.
1:41‑Large group of Negroes at jewelry store at 37th and North.
1:42‑Large group of Negroes leaving 37th and North. We have just moved
them.
1:43‑Two burglar alarms, 925 W. North and 1400 W. North. av.
3:35‑Fire in the
middle of the street, 1st and Wright.
3:36‑Looting, 3501
3:38‑Small fire
extinguished at 2841 N. 5th st.
3:41‑Men with guns,
27th and Teutonia.
3:43‑We have an
automobile fire, 1st and Wright.
3:47‑Need an ambulance at 2nd and Center, injured fireman.
3:48‑Someone is
shooting at 6th and North.
3:49‑Check an ambulance request at 2629 N. 3rd st.
Possible gunshot wound.
3:50‑Looting at
drugstore, 13th and Burleigh.
3:52‑Sniper has men
pinned down, 2300 block N. 3rd.
3:53‑Sgt. Lanza is pinned down. We're sending help.
3:56‑Sgt. Lanza, are you pinned down?
3:56‑Sgt. Lanza replied: "We heard two shots, we're afraid to
move."
3:58‑Subject is on
roof on National Food store (at 2354 N. 3rd, Lanza's
location). He has a red shirt on.
3:59‑I'm in the
National Food store parking store. We've seen the guy move. We need a high
powered rifle.
3:59‑They are shooting
tear gas over the building (the National food store). They are shooting too
far.
3:59‑They're still
shooting too far. If they keep overshooting, we are going to need gas masks
here.
4:00‑2500 block of N.
3rd. fire department reports their men are pinned down (by the sniper on
National Food store building).
4:00‑Burglar running
east from 3rd and Atkinson.
4:00‑Tell men in rear
(of National Food store) to hold their fire. We're going in.
4:00‑Hold your fire,
men going in from front of store.
4:01‑Shooting in
alley, 1204 W. Wright.
4:03‑All units, do not enter
4:04‑Engine 29 from
3rd and Hadley fighting an auto fire, plenty of protection here.
4:04‑Check for large
group of Negroes starting fires going west from Lloyd.
4:05‑Box alarm fire at
9th and Meinecke.
4:06‑Send some gas
masks, 2300 block N. 3rd st.
4:07‑Battalion chief
suggested fire engines stop using sirens. Respond to alarms without sirens.
People are coming out to see what is happening.
4:11‑Tell fire
department to stop at 3rd and North. We'll pick up ladders there. (Police
wanted the ladders to get to roof of National Food store building.)
4:12‑Send a man with a
shotgun. We do not have one.
4:13‑Check for crowd
gathered at 7th and Center.
4:14‑Sgt. Lanza, they can put men on discount store at rear. Building
is higher up; you can cover the whole area.
4:18‑Several drunken
Negroes went into Keller's (a liquor store).
4:22‑Sgt. Lanza needs lights in the 2300 block of N. 3rd st.
4:25‑Men are going up
on ladders at the National food store. They are on the roof now.
4:28‑Sgt. Fender says
2300 block of N. 3rd is clear. (No sniper was found on the roof of the National
Food store.)
4:30‑Caution, all
squads using call boxes. Possible booby traps.
4:32‑County general
hospital advises they now have room for more patients.
4:32‑No room in city
jail. Take all prisoners to outlying districts.
4:34‑Check for
subjects trying to break in homes vicinity 15th and Center.
4:35‑Sgt. Lanza: Any blankets available for officers? They're wet and
freezing over here. (It had rained.)
4:37‑Obtain about 100
blankets and take them to the command post.
4:40‑Check for looting
on
4:44‑The fire at 2nd
and Center is under control. Just smoldering embers.
(Three homes had burned.)
4:45‑Have you
contacted the chief about calling the mayor? The mayor is still waiting.
4:47‑First floor fire at 11th and Concordia being extinguished with a hand pump.