Shorewood woman filmed spitting on protester arrested again after altercation in front of home; police say she kneed officer in groin
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A Shorewood woman remains in Milwaukee County Jail Wednesday for allegedly spitting on a teenage protester on Saturday and then shoving a 21-year-old college student who was writing chalk messages outside her home on Sunday.
Shorewood police said Stephanie Rapkin resisted arrest and kneed a police officer in the groin when they tried to arrest her Sunday on a battery and disorderly conduct charges.
Rapkin was booked into the Milwaukee County Jail on Sunday, where she has remained until June 10. She has not yet been charged in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Her bail has been increased to $10,950 from $950, according to online records.
On Saturday, Rapkin, a 64-year-old attorney, was initially taken into police custody at 10:12 p.m. after spitting on a teenager during an altercation that happened earlier that day in the 4000 block of N. 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, Shorewood resident Debra Brehmer posted video of Rapkin confronting Brehmer's son, Joe Friedman, who was writing a series of protest notes in chalk on the sidewalk in front of Rapkin's home.
Friedman, a senior at Ithaca College in New York, said in an interview that he went to write on the sidewalk after hearing about Rapkin's initial arrest. Among other things, Friedman wrote, "Be better than this" and "I spit on a child. How dare you!"
After about an hour, Friedman said Rapkin came out of her house to confront him and the seven to 10 other individuals who had joined him.
On the video, the two are seen arguing about her spitting on the 17-year-old boy. Rapkin tells Friedman, who was holding the camera, that she was simply responding to being physically attacked by the boy, and she then demonstrated the supposed attack by appearing to shove Friedman in the chest.
"You just put your hands on me," Friedman said in response. "That is assault right there. Wow, I just got that on video, ma'am."
Friedman, a communications major, said in the interview that he was stunned that Rapkin had compounded her earlier mistake by pushing him. A woman at the scene, he said, immediately called the police to report what happened.
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.
Michael Maistelman, an election law attorney, sent the Journal Sentinel a copy of a complaint he has filed with the Office of Lawyer Regulation asking it to investigate Rapkin's possible professional misconduct. That agency looks into complaints and makes recommendations to the state Supreme Court, which has the power to fine, suspend or disbar lawyers.
Larry J. Martin, executive director of the State Bar of Wisconsin, wrote on Sunday that he watched the video of the spitting incident and is "both disgusted and disturbed. ... There is no justifiable reason for one person to ever spit on another individual."
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."
Daniel Bice of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.