Police
Mayor “upset,” about family receiving threats over wife pepper-spraying incident
The mayor of La Crosse says he’s “upset” with citizens making threats to his family over a recent pepper-spray incident.
Mayor Tim Kabat’s wife Christy was sprayed on May 30 by a van driver, who said Mrs. Kabat was hostile toward him during an anti-racism demonstration downtown.
Mrs. Kabat reportedly was angry at the man for driving too close to people marching on the street, and he sprayed her in the face.
“Pepper-spraying someone for 4 or 5 seconds in the face because of maybe bad language or bad gestures is something so far over the top … I think it borders on a crime,” the mayor said Monday on WIZM’s La Crosse Talk PM.
“The number of threats and the, just really terrible, awful messages that she has received … makes me extremely upset. I wish people would stop doing that,” added Kabat.
The mayor says the family of an elected official should be off-limits, while one caller to the talk show said Kabat and his wife should hold a press conference and make a public apology.
George Caplan
June 9, 2020 at 6:24 am
walking in the street interfering with traffic is ok but pepper spraying an aggresive demonstrator is bordering on a crime ,alrighty kabot.
J Turk
June 9, 2020 at 8:38 am
kabat is crazy. His wife is a full grown adult, responsible for her own actions. Kabat should be upset with her. Also, families should be off limits if they don’t do newsworthy things. Not the case here. I think his wife acted the way she did expecting to get “privilege” do to her husband’s position.
MICHAEL
June 9, 2020 at 2:11 pm
elected officials should be off limits? WHO THE H do you think you are we put you there we can take you out. your no better than any of us.
N Alexander
June 9, 2020 at 2:39 pm
Well, maybe she should have not been in the person’s face, while he was in his own car with his family…..what about peaceful protesting? The videos and pictures I saw are not peaceful…..Christy is at fault and the kabat’s should own up to that. She was violent and aggressive.
Sorry Kabat’s – you are not royalty.
Jeff Blakeley
June 9, 2020 at 7:19 pm
Castle Doctrine in Wisconsin means one can protect self and property of home, car and business. With open-carry and many conceal-carry, I’m just glad that she got a lesson in pepper spray instead of worse. The driver of the van had more common sense than she did.
J. M. S.
June 10, 2020 at 5:35 am
So outraged at fellow citizens that she attacks one, and her husband, who happens to be the mayor, says she should not be under fire because of it.
Pretty much explains the climate of the US since about 2010.
Can we change other headlines from “Mayors wife pepper-sprayed“ to “Mayors wife assaults fellow citizen, pepper-sprayed by fellow citizen”.
Mr. Kabat, keep your dogs on leashes, please! Good luck on re-election.
Wil
June 10, 2020 at 2:29 pm
I agree, she should own up to her lapse and apologize to that man. Otherwise, she should be charged for assault and battery due to scratching his arms. I realize people are are, but there is no excuse for taking it out on some random driver going to the store.
Adrian Elliott
June 24, 2020 at 8:20 pm
Has she not been charged? WTH?