A Black man, identified as Jacob Blake, 29, was hospitalized in serious condition after police shot him several times in the back as he opened the door of a parked vehicle in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA. Graphic video of the shooting emerged on social media late Sunday, sparking angry protests that prompted the city to declare an emergency curfew.
Governor Tony Evers, who said Blake was “shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight”, said in a statement, “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 shooting, which is now under investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, occurred around 5 p.m. on Sunday August 23, 2020. when officers responded to calls of a domestic incident. Video shows Blake walking away from officers who are pointing their weapons at him. He approaches an SUV, opens the driver’s side door when an officer grabs his shirt, and then fires at least seven shots into Blake’s back.
Officers provided medical aid to Blake, who was transported to a hospital in Milwaukee, the state’s Department of Justice said. The officers involved were placed on administrative leave.
The shooting comes amid nationwide outrage over the fatal police shootings of Black Americans. Protests across the country have pushed for policing reform following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.
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