Genevieve Redsten and Meg Jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A Shorewood woman arrested Saturday for spitting on a teen protester was arrested again on Sunday after arguing with people writing in chalk on the sidewalk in front of her home.
Shorewood police said Stephanie Rapkin resisted arrest and kneed a police officer in the groin when they tried to arrest her Sunday.
The 64-year-old woman had been taken into police custody at 10:12 p.m. Saturday after spitting on a teenager during an altercation that happened earlier that day in the 4000 block of North Oakland Avenue, Shorewood police said.
Multiple videos of the incident circulating on Facebook show a car parked in the middle of North Oakland Avenue as a protest march makes its way south on the street. A video then shows Rapkin walking away from the car.
The person filming the video follows her and asks her to move her car.
The two stop on the sidewalk outside the Metro Market on North Oakland Avenue.
"She won't move her car, so we can't go," the person filming says, repeating, "She won't move her car" several times.
Rapkin continues to walk away, then turns around and says, "She won't keep me safe. You won't keep me safe. Move away from me. Move away from me."
Several people continue to urge her to move her car. Another group of protesters approaches the woman, shouting at her while she shouts back.
Rapkin can then be seen spitting on a young African American male. Quickly, bystanders get between Rapkin and the young man; they surround the woman and usher her away.
On Sunday afternoon another video posted on Facebook shows Rapkin confronting people who were writing with chalk on her sidewalk. They argue with her about spitting on a child and accuse her of hoarding medical masks as she walks back to her home. Then she returns to the sidewalk to show the man holding the camera what she said happened on Saturday, putting her hands on his chest.
He says "you just put your hands on me, that is assault right there. Wow, I just got that on video, ma'am."
According to a press release from Shorewood police Sunday night: "The victim in today’s incident reported he was peacefully protesting on the sidewalk in front of suspect’s home, when the suspect came out and engaged in a verbal altercation with the protesters. The victim reported the suspect then slapped both of her hands on the victim’s chest and physically pushed him."
When police told Rapkin she was under arrest for battery and disorderly conduct, she resisted their attempts to handcuff her. During the struggle, police said, Rapkin struck one of the officers in the groin.
Shorewood Police are now seeking charges of battery, disorderly conduct, battery to a law enforcement officer, and resisting/obstructing an officer.
After the spitting video circulated on social media, state Rep. David Bowen — who also posted on social media that he was at the Shorewood march on Saturday — and others have called for Rapkin, who works in Mequon as an attorney, to lose her license.
Larry J. Martin, executive director of the State Bar of Wisconsin, wrote on Sunday that he watched the video and is "both disgusted and disturbed. ... There is no justifiable reason for one person to ever spit on another individual."
The State Bar does not handle discipline for attorneys, he said, and referred inquiries to the State of Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation, which investigates complaints. The Wisconsin Supreme Court imposes sanctions on licensed attorneys, he noted.
The office of lawyer regulation could not be reached Sunday afternoon.
Shorewood's village board posted on Facebook that it denounces Rapkin's behavior and that "hate has no home in Shorewood."
The young protester from Saturday's march is also a Shorewood resident, the board's post said.
"We are proud of all the Shorewood youth that stood up to speak about their experiences at the march on Saturday."
See: https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeLIVEtv/videos/277931043569767/
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