The Scotsman

Violent protests after police ‘shoot unarmed black man in the back’

- By MARGARET NEIGHBOUR newsdeskts@scotsman.com

Protests have erupted in the US state of Wisconsin after police shot a black man many times while responding to what they said was a domestic incident.

Officers deployed tear gas early to disperse hundreds of people who took to the streets following the shooting in Kenosha that drew a harsh rebuke from the governor after a video posted on social media appeared to show officers shoot the man’s back seven times as he leaned into a vehicle.

Kenosha police department confirmed one person had been taken to hospital in a serious condition after being shot by officers responding to a “domestic incident”, but did not provide details about what led to the shooting.

In video posted on social media that appeared to show the shooting from across a street, three officers could be seen shouting and pointing their weapons at the man as he walked around the front of a parked SUV. As the man opened the driver’s side door and leaned inside, one officer grabbed his shirt from behind and then fired into the vehicle. Seven shots could be heard on the video, though it was unclear if more than one officer fired.

Gov Tony Evers ocondemned the shooting of the man, whom he identified as Jacob Blake, saying in a statement that “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”.

The Wisconsin department of justice, which is investigat­ing the shooting, did not release any details about the officers who were involved except to say they had been placed on administra­tive leave.

Following the shooting, social media posts showed neighbours gathering in the surroundin­g streets and shouting at police. Some could be heard chanting “no justice, no peace” while others appeared to throw objects at officers and damage police vehicles.

Later on Sunday, in a scene that mirrored the widespread protests over the death of George Floyd, marchers headed to the Kenosha County Public Safety Building, which houses the police and county sheriff ’s department­s. Authoritie­s mostly blocked off the building, and some officers were positioned on the roof as protesters marched beside lines of honking cars as they made their way to the building.

Meanwhile, Evers indicated that he intends to take further action over the shooting.

“I have said all along that although we must offer our empathy, equally important is our action,” he said. “

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