Protests over police brutality and racial injustice erupted Sunday in Wisconsin after a video posted on Facebook showed police officers shooting a Black man in the back several times.
The man, 29-year-old Jacob Blake, was shot around 5 p.m. Sunday as officers responded to calls about a domestic incident, CBS News reported.
Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who has been retained by Blake’s family, shared the video [WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT] on Facebook, according to CBS News. No lawsuit has been filed yet.
The video shows Blake reportedly walking away from officers pointing weapons at him. As Blake approaches an SUV and opens the driver’s door, an officer grabs him by the shirt and fires at least seven rounds into his back.
It is not clear if another officer who had his gun drawn also fired shots, according to CNN.
Blake’s three children, ages 3, 5 and 8, were in the vehicle at the time, Crump told CNN.
Blake was given medical aid by officers at the scene, then transported to a Milwaukee hospital, the state’s justice department said. The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave while the incident is under investigation.
Crump claims Blake had been trying to de-escalate a fight between two other people, CBS News reported. When officers arrived, they drew their weapons and tased him.
The shooting prompted outrage in Kenosha.
Several area businesses were vandalized and about 50 cars were burned at a local car lot, according to CBS affiliate WDJT.
Overnight Sunday, windows were reportedly broken and graffiti sprayed at a Kenosha County administrative building. A fire was also reportedly started at a county courthouse.
Officers wearing tactical gear formed a line to try to protect “a public safety building,” according to CNN.
The courthouse and administrative building were closed Monday, and court was postponed, according to the county’s Facebook page.
The county also reported a “State of Emergency Curfew” would be in effect from 8 p.m. Monday to 7 a.m. Tuesday.
“The public needs to be off the streets for their safety,” the notice says.
Residents of Kenosha were outraged by the shooting, and protesters gathered near the scene to take a stand against the alleged police brutality, CBS reported.
Blake’s shooting comes during a time of unrest in other areas of the United States as protesters around the country call for an end to police brutality and justice for victims.
Protesters have been hitting the streets in an effort to seek justice for Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman who was shot and killed during a no-knock warrant search in March.
The officers involved in her death have not been arrested or charged.
A greater push for an end to police brutality erupted after 46-year-old George Floyd was killed at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in late May.
As groups have gathered to protest these and similar killings, demonstrators have alleged additional police brutality at the hands of officers in riot gear who were sent to try to de-escalate the protests.
Protesters claim officers have fired tear gas and rubber bullets into largely peaceful crowds. Likewise, journalists say their media credentials have been ignored and they, too, have been injured by “less-than-lethal” force.
According to CNN, Pete Deates, the president of the Kenosha Professional Police Association, has asked the public to withhold judgment on Blake’s shooting until the Wisconsin Department of Justice investigation is complete.
“As always, the video currently circulating does not capture all the intricacies of a highly dynamic incident,” Deates said. “We ask that you withhold from passing judgment until all the facts are known and released.”
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers released a statement commenting on the incident, according to CBS News.
“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,” Evers said. “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.”
Do you believe police acted appropriately in their encounter with Jacob Blake? Let us know in the comments.
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One thought on Protests Erupt After Wisconsin Police Shoot Black Man In Back Multiple Times
FIRST THEY CAME By Martin Niemöller
First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the socialists and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me – And there was no one left To speak out for me
Consider this, It does not matter what race you are, If we do not stand on the democratic principle of justice for all our country will slowly – but without a doubt, end like this.