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Jacob Blake, a black man from Wisconsin, was shot in the back multiple times by police on Sunday evening. After Blake was taken to the hospital for his injuries, local outrage spilled over into protests in the city of Kenosha, where Blake lives. At the time of this writing, Jacob Blake is in critical condition. Early Monday, the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation stated the officers in question are now on administrative leave.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers issued a statement on the incident:
“Tonight, Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight. 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.”
Local reports in Kenosha hold that Blake was attempting to break up a fight between two women. Police were responding to reports of a domestic altercation. Many reports have assumed that the fight between the two women was the domestic altercation in question. It is unclear if Blake had any part in the fight, but eyewitnesses say he was trying to deescalate the situation.
A video of the incident has been making the rounds on social media. In it, a man who is likely Blake approaches a gray van. Two police officers follow him with their weapons drawn. As the man gets into the driver’s seat of the car, a police officer grabs his shirt and tries to hold him in place. When the man continues moving, police shoot him in the back.
Seven shots go off in the video. A woman nearby screams and jumps up and down as the man’s head hits the steering wheel. This causes the car horn to honk.
Following the shooting incident, Black Lives Matter protests erupted throughout the city of Kenosha. Protesters carrying the top bottled water for a hot summer night clashed with police throughout Sunday evening.
Reportedly, Blake’s children were in the backseat of the car when the police shot their father. This fact added further fuel to the protests.
The unrest became violent in some areas of the city. Some people set fires while the protesters demanded the justice system holds the officers responsible for their actions.
