I’m in constant pain, says man shot seven times by police
JACOB BLAKE, the African-american man shot seven times by Wisconsin police, has said he is in constant “numbing pain”.
Mr Blake, 29, was left paralysed by the Aug 23 shooting that sparked weeks of protests across America. Speaking out for the first time since the incident, he said: “Every 24 hours it’s pain. Numbing pain. It hurts to breathe, it hurts to sleep, it hurts to move from side to side, it hurts to eat.” He added that by having had his legs taken away, his whole life had been taken away.
The shooting came in the midst of widespread unrest following the May 25 death of George Floyd during a police arrest in Minneapolis.
The Oregon city of Portland has emerged as the focal point of protests, which on Saturday night – the 100th night – were declared a riot.
Last weekend in Portland a white militia member was shot and killed by a Left-wing demonstrator, who in turn was killed by police on Thursday.
Kenosha, the city on Lake Michigan where Mr Blake was shot, also saw lethal protests, in which two Black Lives Matter demonstrators were shot and killed by a 17-year-old militia member, who was later charged with murder.
On Friday, New York’s attorney general announced a grand jury would investigate the death of Daniel Prude, an unarmed black man with mental health issues, who suffocated in March after being restrained by police.
Urging people to realise the fragility of life, Mr Blake said: “I’m telling you, change y’all lives out there.”