STATE OF WISCONSIN CIRCUIT COURT MILWAUKEE COUNTY
DA Case No.: 2020ML014193
STATE OF WISCONSIN Court Case No.: 2020CF002126
Plaintiff,
vs.
AMENDED
Rapkin, Stephanie G CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
4209 North Ardmore Avenue
Shorewood, WI 53211
DOB: 10/17/1955
Defendant(s).
For Official Use
THE BELOW NAMED COMPLAINANT BEING DULY SWORN, ON INFORMATION AND BELIEF
STATES THAT:
Count 1: DISORDERLY CONDUCT, HATE CRIME
The above-named defendant on or about Saturday, June 6, 2020, in the Village of Shorewood,
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, while in a public place, did engage in abusive or otherwise disorderly
conduct, under circumstances in which such conduct tended to provoke a disturbance, contrary to sec.
947.01(1), 939.51(3)(b), 939.645(1) and (2)(a) Wis. Stats.
Upon conviction for this offense, a Class B Misdemeanor, the defendant may be fined not more than
One Thousand Dollars ($1,000), or imprisoned not more than ninety (90) days, or both.
And further, invoking the provisions of sec. 939.645(1) and (2)(a) Wis. Stats., because the defendant
committed a crime under chapters 939 to 948, and intentionally selected the person against whom the
crime was committed in whole or in part because of the defendant's belief or perception regarding the
race of that person, the revised maximum fine is $10,000 and the revised maximum term of
imprisonment is one year in the county jail.
Count 2: BATTERY TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
The above-named defendant on or about Sunday, June 7, 2020, in the Village of Shorewood,
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, did intentionally cause bodily harm to Ali-Raza Govani, a law
enforcement officer, without their consent, and at the time of the act, the defendant knew or should
have known that Ali-Raza Govani was a law enforcement officer and the act was in a response to any
action taken by a law enforcement officer in an official capacity, contrary to sec. 940.203(2),
939.50(3)(h) Wis. Stats.
Upon conviction for this offense, a Class H Felony, the defendant may be fined not more than Ten
Thousand Dollars ($10,000), or imprisoned not more than six (6) years, or both.
Probable Cause:
Complainant is a Village of Shorewood Police Officer and bases this complaint on information and
belief and on a review of official police reports prepared by fellow Village of Shorewood police officers
which are of the kind Complainant has used in the past and found to be truthful and reliable and which
Complainant knows were prepared in the ordinary and regular course of police business.
Stephanie G Rapkin, DOB: 10/17/1955 Page | 2
Complainant states that on June 6, 2020, Shorewood Police responded to an incident that had
occurred in the area of the Metro Market in Shorewood near 4075 N. Oakland, Village of Shorewood,
County of Milwaukee, State of Wisconsin. Police interviewed EPL who told police that he was part of a
rally that was walking through Shorewood and that as he and others were approaching the Metro
Market he noticed a group of people yelling at a woman, later identified as Defendant Stephanie
Rapkin, telling her to move her car. EPL stated that he began chanting “I’m black and I’m proud” with
his friends as he approached the defendant. As he stood several feet from the defendant and chanted,
the defendant turned and spit at him and her saliva struck him in his face/mouth area and on the top of
his shirt. EPL is an African American teenager. He said that the defendant did not say anything to him
before she spit.
Cell phone video captured this incident and it shows that no one touched the defendant in any way or
threatened her in any way before she spat on EPL.
On June 7, 2020, Shorewood Police went to the defendant’s residence in response to a report of a
physical altercation involving JPF. Policed ended up going into her residence to arrest her and she
resisted officers efforts to place her in handcuffs and during the handcuffing process the defendant
kneed Shorewood Officer Ali-Raza Govani in the groin causing him pain without his consent. This
occurred at 4209 N. Ardmore in the Village of Shorewood, County of Milwaukee, State of Wisconsin.
Officer Govani and his fellow officers were all in full Shorewood Police Department uniform at the time
of this offense.
Officer Cody Smith interviewed the defendant on June 6 regarding the spitting incident and she
explained that she was a cancer survivor and felt threatened because she was surrounded and they did
not have masks on. (The video shows that the defendant did not have a mask on at the time of the
spitting incident.) She said they got too close so she spit on EPL.
****End of Complaint****
Electronic Filing Notice:
This case was electronically filed with the Milwaukee County Clerk of Circuit Court office. The electronic filing system is
designed to allow for fast, reliable exchange of documents in court cases. Parties who register as electronic parties can file,
receive and view documents online through the court electronic filing website. A document filed electronically has the same
legal effect as a document filed by traditional means. You may also register as an electronic party by following the instructions
found at http://efiling.wicourts.gov/ and may withdraw as an electronic party at any time. There is a $ 20.00 fee to register as
an electronic party. If you are not represented by an attorney and would like to register an electronic party, you will need to
contact the Clerk of Circuit Court office at 414-278-4120. Unless you register as an electronic party, you will be served with
traditional paper documents by other parties and by the court. You must file and serve traditional paper documents.
Stephanie G Rapkin, DOB: 10/17/1955 Page | 3
Subscribed and sworn to before me on 06/12/20 Electronically Signed By:
Electronically Signed By: Sgt. Nick Gardner
James C. Griffin Complainant
Assistant District Attorney
State Bar #: 1022152
