Sunday night protests erupted in Kenosha, Wisconsin after area police shot unarmed Black man Jacob Blake in the back seven times in front of his children who were inside his car.
Blake was transferred to an area hospital in serious condition. His father has shared on Facebook that Blake’s condition has been stabilized after surgery and is recovering in the ICU, CBS News reports.
In a viral video, Blake can be seen entering his SUV as police followed him with guns drawn. One officer grabs Blake by his shirt and fires into his back.
Witnesses state Blake was at the scene breaking up a fight between two women.
Kenosha Police state they were responding to a call at 28th Avenue and 40th Street for a “domestic incident.” In his own statement, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers stated Blake was “shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight.”
Evers added, “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.”
According to WDJT, protestors at the scene forced officers away and large trucks that were placed to isolate the area around a courthouse were set on fire. Protestors outside the police headquarters were tear-gassed leading to the crowd dispersing.
Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump confirmed Blake’s three songs were in the car while officers shot him just outside.
The video of the incident is available below with additional coverage. We do alert you of the video’s graphic nature.
