'I couldn't have been more proud to be a Wisconsin resident': Milwaukee nurse who put out fire at Walgreens gets a call from Gov. Tony Evers

Donte White, the Milwaukee man who put out a fire at his neighborhood Walgreens late last week, got a call from Gov. Tony Evers to thank him for stepping in to help.

White, a 32-year-old registered nurse and lifelong Milwaukee resident, had joined last Friday night's protests to speak out against police officers killing people of color, including George Floyd in Minneapolis and Joel Acevedo in Milwaukee.

Most of the protesters were peaceful, but White said he knew he needed to help after seeing a group of people breaking windows and hearing some talking about starting fires at Walgreens at 2826 N. King Drive.

His actions were praised by local and state leaders, and Evers called White earlier this week to thank him.

"This was my first time speaking to him," White said. "I was honored and he said, 'Wisconsin thanks you,' and at that moment I couldn't have been more proud to be a Wisconsin resident."

Evers said talking to him was "one of the highlights that you have in this circumstance."

"We talked about what he did that night. For him, it was just like, 'I had to do it. I'm fair. There was damage going on. I took care of it. And that's that,' " Evers said. "And frankly, that kind of response is something that I think the vast majority of Wisconsinites are just like."

In an interview with the Journal Sentinel last week, White said he started a Facebook Live video because he wanted people to see what was happening all around him. 

"I remember hearing people talking about, 'Well, let's burn it down.' And I remember individuals going in there and were starting a fire," White said. "And I'm like, 'OK, I use this Walgreens. My family has used this Walgreens and I know other people in the community are also using this for small groceries. There's a pharmacy in that Walgreens, and people couldn't get their medication."

White said he felt it was his "responsibility as a community member and a community resident to put the fire out," so he grabbed bottles of soda and doused the flames.

Investigators released a photo Monday and asked for the public's help in identifying those involved in the arson at the Walgreens. They also released a short video clip in which one man was heard saying: "Hey, y'all got a lighter? I'm going to burn this bitch down."

Officials said the fire was reported shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday.

"It's a federal crime to set fire to a commercial building," U.S. Attorney Matthew Krueger said. "We're asking for help to identify who participated in attempting to set that building on fire."

Krueger also commended White, saying, "Thankfully, a citizen of goodwill went in and put that fire out before it caught blaze and set more damage."

Contact Mary Spicuzza at (414) 224-2324 or mary.spicuzza@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MSpicuzzaMJS.