Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.
• It’s been a hot minute since we checked in with Milwaukee County Sheriff David “Edgelord” Clarke. So what has our ever-busy part-time sheriff been up to since he allegedly detained a guy for shaking his head at him and then threatened to murder him (via meme)? Well, getting sued by said guy, for one.
Yes, Dan Black, the 24-year-old Riverwest man who shook his head at Clarke on a plane—and was then threatened with murder (via meme)—filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday against Clarke and six unnamed deputies. The lawsuit tells the tale:
On January 15, 2017, Black was at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (“DFW”) in Texas.
Black boarded a flight that was departing for General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee.
While boarding the flight, Black saw a man that looked like Sheriff Clarke wearing clothes emblazoned with the logo and colors of the Dallas Cowboys football team.
Black asked the man if he was Sheriff Clarke, and Sheriff Clarke responded that he was.
Black moved towards the rear of the airplane and shook his head.
Sheriff Clarke asked Black if he had a problem. Black shook his head no and continued walking and took a seat in the rear of the airplane.
There was no interaction between Black and Sheriff Clarke during the flight to Milwaukee.
When Black got off the airplane, Sheriff Clarke was in the waiting area by the gate.
Sheriff Clarke motioned to John Does One through Six and John Does One through Six walked over to Black and stopped him.
John Does One and Two then arrested Black and escorted him to an unoccupied waiting area.
John Does One and Two interrogated Black in the waiting area.
During the interrogation, Black was questioned about his political opinions.
John Does One and Two interrogated Black for about fifteen minutes and then escorted him out of the airport.
A reasonable Milwaukee County sheriff would not have ordered his deputy sheriffs to stop, arrest and interrogate a citizen for shaking his head. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
The suit asks for unspecified damages, though the shitload of cash and gifts Clarke received in 2016 for doing whatever it is he does ($220,172 in speaking fees and a $3,940 cruise to the Cayman Islands, for starters) could be at stake. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Oh, Clarke just posted some more typically batshit stuff on Facebook. “Comment from Sheriff Clarke: An open letter to Bice, Urinal Sentinel, Fox6, TMJ4, et al. Read it and weep. The Sheriff’s sentiment to you,” the post says, linking to a public meltdown piece titled “How Losing My Political Values Helped Me Gain My Freedom.” Some “highlights”:
“I have no personal investment in Donald Trump. He is a tool to punish the left and roll back their ill-gotten gains, no more and no less. If he succeeds even partially in those two things, then I’ll consider his election a win.
“Further, I no longer have any investment in any particular political values, save one: The rules created by the left will be applied to the left as equally and punitively as they have applied them to the right. And when they beg for mercy, I’ll begin to reconsider. Or maybe not. Because fuck these people.
“This new philosophy has freed me of more emotional angst that I can describe. Literally nothing the left says or does matters to me anymore. I don’t care about their tantrums. I don’t care about their accusations. I don’t care if they say Trump is lying. I don’t care if Trump is lying.
“They created this Frankenstein. They own it. I am free of all obligation. I will never play defense again. I will attack, attack, attack, attack using their own tactics against them until they learn their lesson.
“What I will not do is let them play my values against me ever again. I don’t need to prove that I’m better than them. I already know it.” [Ace Of Spades HQ]
• A long-in-the-works documentary on the family of Dontre Hamilton will premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in March. The Blood Is At The Doorstep is directed by Milwaukee filmmaker Erik Ljung, and centers on the Hamiltons’ efforts to “rally a grieving community and become leaders of a national movement as they seek answers, justice and reform while Dontre’s case unfolds.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Jonesing for more important, awesome, and can’t-miss movies? The Milwaukee Film Festival recently announced its 2017 dates: September 28 to October 12. Yes. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
Milwaukee Film Festival Sponsor Trailer 2016 from Purple Onion Inc. on Vimeo.
• One of the new owners of the soon-to-be-updated Shops of Grand Avenue says the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s plan to move across the street to the vacant Grand Theatre is the “most important, influential and helpful thing” to the mall’s future. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Speaking of the Grand Theatre, the Pabst Theater is chatting with the MSO about booking shows there. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Liberal talk radio has arrived in Milwaukee—to 1510 AM, to be exact. Can it succeed in a town dominated by conservative talk radio, asks Urban Milwaukee? We’ll let Betteridge’s law of headlines handle that one. [Urban Milwaukee]
• Milwaukee has its first Indian food truck. Punjabi Accent will be stationed outside the U.S. Bank building from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and outside Johnson Controls from 1 to 3 p.m. [OnMilwaukee]
• Von Alexander—formerly Vonny Del Fresco—released a new record, MAYHEM1993. It’s great. [Shepherd Express]
• Third Space Brewery was named Best New Brewer of 2016 by “prestigious beer rating site” RateBeer. Great job, Milwaukee! [OnMilwaukee]
• Milwaukee is one of 164 “creative cities” that hosts something called CreativeMornings. Great job, Milwaukee! [Urban Milwaukee]
• Evan Rytlewski rounded up some new Milwaukee hip-hop, including releases from El-Shareef, Hakeem Paragon, Joey Burbs, and Blax. [Shepherd Express]
• The Milwaukee Brewers released their 2017 promotional schedule, which includes an honest-to-god Bob Uecker Magic 8-ball on August 13. [Milwaukee Brewers]
• The Milwaukee Brewers released their 2017 “theme night” schedule, which includes an honest-to-god Beatles-themed Postgame Laser Show on April 22. [Milwaukee Brewers]
• According to Urban Milwaukee, the intersection of Water and Brady streets—always a pain in the ass but now a pain in the ass with more luxury apartments—is a pain in the ass. [Urban Milwaukee]
“The fact that Water basically merges onto Brady creates the impression of an onramp for drivers—which makes it intimidating for bicyclists and walkers to cross the street. Residential development has grown considerably in the area and drastically increased the population, but the city has yet to respond with adjustments to accommodate those changes.”
• The Pitch Project Artist Book Fair is going down this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. [OnMilwaukee]
• Joey Grihalva profiled some young, up-and-coming Milwaukee hip-hop talent. [Wisconsin Gazette]
• Oh for fuck’s sake there’s a “boutique” shooting range opening in Mequon called Bear Arms. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Coast In Bikes has moved to 838 S. 1st St.—its third location in four years. [OnMilwaukee]
• City Lights Brewing Co. is finally open! [OnMilwaukee]
• East Side bar Allium, formerly Cafe Bruke, is closed! [Milwaukee Magazine]
• Have a great weekend, Milwaukee!