A death on the reservation creates nothing but questions

13 year old Jason Pero was shot dead by an Ashland County Sheriff Deputy on the Bad River Reservation yesterday. This occurred after reports came in about a youth carrying a knife on the reservation. There appear to be no reports of the youth threatening anyone or causing any trouble, but in the end he lay dead on the street. He had stayed home sick from school and it is not clear what he was doing on the street, or if in fact he actually had a knife on him, although the police reports state that a knife was found on the scene.

It is difficult to understand what sequence of events may have happened that would have prompted the deputy to kill a kid whose worst offenses appear to be being out of school and carrying a knife. Social media and other reports from the scene conflict at least in detail with the statements from police. His family has questions and would like to see justice served. Certainly people throughout the state are asking the same questions, especially considering the continual inability of Wisconsin to get past its racist treatment of Native Americans.

Thanks to TV Station WDIO for this video.