Outrage after latest police shooting
Police shot a Black man in the back multiple times in Kenosha, Wis., as his three sons watched on Sunday, his family’s lawyer said, sparking a night of unrest during which protesters hurled firebombs and drawing condemnation from the governor.
The victim, 29-year-old Jacob Blake, was taken to a hospital in serious condition. Blake’s father told NBC News on Monday that his son was out of surgery and in stable condition.
A video circulating on social media showed Blake walking toward the driver’s side of a grey SUV followed by two officers with their guns drawn at his back. Seven gunshot sounds can be heard as Blake, who appears to be unarmed, opens the car door.
It was unknown whether the officers saw something inside the vehicle to justify deadly force. It was also not clear whether one or both officers fired their weapons.
Crowds gathered at the scene, set fires and threw bricks and Molotov cocktails at police, prompting authorities to impose a curfew through early Monday morning. Kenosha County announced on Twitter that its courthouse and administration building would be closed due to the damage.
Wisconsin Gov. Evers, a Democrat, issued a statement noting that Blake had been shot in the back in “broad daylight” and urged all to stand against “excessive use of force and immediate escalation when engaging with Black Wisconsinites.”
Pete Deates, president of the city’s police union, called Evers’ statement “wholly irresponsible,” noted that the video may not capture all elements of the incident and asked the public to withhold judgment.
The shooting occurred three months after the death of George Floyd, a 46-yearold Black man, in Minneapolis police custody sparked nationwide protests.
Former vice-president Joe Biden, the Democrat seeking to defeat Republican President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 election, on Monday called for the officers to be held accountable and for the dismantling of systemic racism.
“And this morning, the nation wakes up yet again with grief and outrage that yet another Black American is a victim of excessive force,” Biden said. “These shots pierce the soul of our nation.”
Whitney Cabal, one of the leaders of the Black Lives Matter chapter in Kenosha, said her group has staged protests following two other incidents of police use of force in recent weeks.
“This city is not going to stop burning itself down until they (protesters) know that this officer has been fired,” she said.
The shooting occurred around 5 p.m. as officers were responding to what they termed a “domestic incident.”
The officers have been placed on leave.