Kenosha Shooting: Jacob Blake Shot In The Back By Wisconsin Police In Front of His Sons
UPDATE [12:42 PM]: Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, has released an official statement following the Aug. 23 police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“Yesterday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back as police attempted to restrain him from getting into his car. His children watched from inside the car and bystanders watched in disbelief,” Biden said in his official statement. “And this morning, the nation wakes up yet again with grief and outrage that yet another Black American is a victim of excessive force. This calls for an immediate, full and transparent investigation and the officers must be held accountable.”
PREVIOUS:
Another Black man has been shot several times in the back by the police and the public is left to question why. Several people have reported that Jacob Blake, 29, was trying to break up an altercation between two women on Sunday, August 23, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Someone called the police, who at some point tased Blake when they arrived on the scene.
A video has gone viral on social media showing Blake walking away from officers, who had their guns drawn on him, and heading towards his vehicle. That nearly fatal move almost cost him his life as officers began shooting at Blake multiple times as soon as he entered the car.
Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump confirmed on Twitter that Blake’s three sons were in the car at the time when the Kenosha Police shot him in the back.
“They saw a cop shoot their father. They will be traumatized forever. We cannot let officers violate their duty to PROTECT us. Our kids deserve better!,” posted Crump.
It is being reported that none of the officers wore body cameras at the time.
According to a statement released by Kenosha Police, the same officers who shot Blake provided aid to him after the shooting until he was taken to a Milwaukee-area hospital where he is said to be in serious condition. The incident is being turned over to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, according to kenoshanews.com.
The local NAACP is demanding answers from city officials.
An hour after the shooting, Black Lives Matter protesters were on the scene as even more police arrived to control the growing crowd. Local reporters on the scene said items were being thrown, setting multiple fires, people had gotten on top of cop cars and breaking the windows, and as a result, additional law enforcement were called in wearing riot gear and at least one military vehicle. The protest eventually moved outside of the Kenosha Police Department station where tear gas was deployed to break up the crowd.
Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department has issued a curfew and state of emergency until 7:00 a.m.on Monday, where the "public needs to be off the streets for their safety.”
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers released the following statement saying:
“Tonight, Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kathy and I join his family, friends, and neighbors in hoping earnestly that he will not succumb to his injuries.While we do not have all of the details yet, what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country. We stand with all those who have and continue to demand justice, equity, and accountability for Black lives in our country—lives like those of George Floyd, of Breonna Taylor, Tony Robinson, Dontre Hamilton, Ernest Lacy, and Sylville Smith. And we stand against excessive use of force and immediate escalation when engaging with Black Wisconsinites. I have said all along that although we must offer our empathy, equally important is our action. In the coming days, we will demand just that of elected officials in our state who have failed to recognize the racism in our state and our country for far too long.”
Come back to BET.com for additional updates on this developing story.
BET has been covering every angle of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks and other social justice cases and the subsequent aftermath and protests. For our continuing coverage, click here.
