Jay-Z's Team Roc hires attorney for Black man forcefully arrested in a Kenosha Applebee's after being wrongly thought to be a suspect

Rap legend Jay-Z has stepped in by applying the social justice and philanthropic arm of his company to obtain the services of acclaimed lawyer Alex Spiro to represent a Black man who was forcefully arrested by Kenosha officers after he was wrongly thought to be a suspect.

Roc Nation's Team ROC and Spiro "will work closely with the family to get all charges dropped and to evaluate any and all civil suits against those responsible," the group said in a news release Thursday.

Zion, Illinois residents Jermelle English Jr. and Shanya Boyd and their 1-year-old son were having dinner inside the Applebee's off Highway 50 on July 20 when Kenosha officers mistakenly identified them as suspects in a nearby hit-and-run. The people believed to be the actual suspects were in the bathroom of the restaurant.

Video emerged on social media showing the incident in which English was seen being forcefully arrested, his baby removed from his arms, and an officer can be seen striking English at one point.

Leo Viola, spokesperson with the Kenosha Police Department, said in the days following the incident that officers were acting based off the description of suspects provided to them by witnesses. Viola said the description was two Black males and a Black female holding a baby, but a criminal complaint says the description was one Black male and one Black female holding a baby.

English and Boyd were charged with resisting an officer and disorderly conduct. Boyd also received a possession of marijuana charge. Viola said the officers had legal authority to detain English and restrain him while they conducted their investigation. Boyd has not retained the services of Spiro, the company said.

An email to English and Boyd's previously listed attorney was not immediately returned Thursday.

“The reckless arrest of Jermelle English Jr. and the careless endangerment of his infant child by the Kenosha Police Department is an absolute travesty,” Team ROC managing director Dania Diaz said. “The Team ROC team is here to support Jermelle and his family through this traumatic experience, demand justice and hold the Kenosha police officers accountable."

Spiro has previously represented Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Elon Musk, Robert Kraft, Naomi Osaka and several more of the country’s leading entrepreneurs, musicians and athletes.

In its statement, Team ROC said the "uproar" surrounding English's arrest comes three years after Kenosha officer Rusten Sheskey shot Jacob Blake seven times.

The shooting led to days of violent protests in Kenosha, during which Kyle Rittenhouse killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, 28. Rittenhouse was acquitted in 2021 after arguing he acted in self-defense.

Team ROC has previously been involved in organizing in the Milwaukee area, having coordinated a rally in Wauwatosa in 2020 to demand justice for Alvin Cole, who was killed by local police officer Joseph Mensah earlier that year.

Kenosha County District Attorney Robert Zapf did not immediately respond when asked for comment Thursday.

Drake Bentley can be reached at DBentley1@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Jay-Z's Team Roc hires attorney for Black man arrested in Kenosha