Kenosha cops find 'suspicious vehicles' with out-of-state plates containing helmets, gas masks, protective vests, illegal fireworks; 9 arrested

Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, said they received a citizen tip early Wednesday evening about "several suspicious vehicles with out-of-state plates meeting in a remote lot late near State Highway 50 and Green Bay Road."

So officers checked it out, and sure enough they said they found a black school bus, a bread truck, and a tan minivan with out-of-state plates and commenced surveillance with United States Marshals.

What happened next?

With that, authorities followed the trio of vehicles to a gas station near Washington Road and 30th Avenue, where officers observed occupants exit the bus and the bread truck and attempt to fill multiple fuel cans.

Suspecting the individuals were preparing for criminal activity related to civil unrest in the city, police said officers — who were wearing appropriate identification — exited their vehicles, identified themselves, and detained the occupants of the bus and the bread truck.

The driver of the minivan tried to pull away, police said, but the vehicle was stopped and officers forced their way inside and arrested the occupants.

What did police find?

Police said the vehicles contained helmets, gas masks, protective vests, illegal fireworks, and suspected controlled substances.

The nine individuals were arrested for disorderly conduct and are pending charging decisions by the Kenosha County district attorney, police added.

Anything else?

Wednesday marked the fourth night of protests and rioting in Kenosha following Sunday's police-involved shooting of a black man, Jacob Blake, who later was reported to be paralyzed from the waist down.

The riots, fires, and destruction got so bad that Wisconsin's governor called out the National Guard to help. Some of the lowlights have included:

• A rioter brandishing a gun and pointing it directly in the face of Blaze Media reporter Elijah Schaffer — while he was filming.
• A group of apparent street fighters — some armed with rifles and handguns — staring down a sheriff's vehicle as fires burned in the background.
• A law enforcement officer falling face-first on the street after apparently getting struck in the head with an object — and someone from the surrounding mob yelling that the victim "got bricked!" as others cheered and applauded.
• An elderly man who fought back against looters of a burning business getting viciously attacked — knocked down, flattened on a sidewalk, and his face bloodied.

On Tuesday night, leftist rioters squared off with gun-toting men who said they were in the city to protect property. One of the armed individuals, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, allegedly shot dead two people and seriously wounded a third.