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Protests in Wisconsin after video appears to show police shooting black man in the back
Protests in Wisconsin after video appears to show police shooting Black man in the back
(about 7 hours later)
Video on social media appears to show officers shoot at man seven times as he leaned into vehicle
Video on social media appears to show officers in Kenosha shoot at Jacob Blake seven times as he leaned into vehicle
Residents have confronted law enforcement officers at the scene of a police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, that drew a harsh rebuke from the state’s governor and prompted crowds to take to the streets after a video posted on social media appeared to show officers shoot at a man’s back seven times as he leaned into a vehicle.
A police officer is being investigated by the Wisconsin justice department after a man appeared to be shot in the back in Kenosha on Sunday.
Kenosha police said one person was left in a serious condition in hospital after a shooting by officers about 5pm on Sunday, as police were responding to a “domestic incident”.
A video taken by a bystander shows the man, identified by Wisconsin governor Tony Evers as Jacob Blake, walking around a car on a Kenosha street as several officers stand by.
Police did not provide details about what led to the shooting or the officers involved, but said the person was transported to a hospital in Milwaukee for treatment.
Blake, who is now in serious condition in hospital, is seen attempting to get into the car through the driver’s side door. As he does so, an officer fires. At least seven gunshots are heard.
In the 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, who appeared to be black, as he walked around the front of an SUV parked on the street. As the man opened the driver’s side door and leaned inside, one officer appeared to grab his shirt from behind and then fired into the vehicle.
Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump said Blake’s three young sons were in the car.
Seven shots could be heard on the video, though it was unclear if more than one officer fired.
Crump, who has represented the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, African Americans killed this year, said Blake’s family reached out to him for assistance.
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.”
“They saw a cop shoot their father,” Crump said on Twitter. “They will be traumatised forever. We cannot let officers violate their duty to PROTECT us. Our kids deserve better!!”
Later on Sunday, in a scene that mirrored the months of protests that followed the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other black people killed by police, marchers headed to the Kenosha county public safety building, which authorities had mostly blocked off.
The shooting prompted hundreds to protest in Kenosha, about 40 miles south of Milwaukee. Police used tear gas and several vehicles were reportedly set on fire.
Protesters marched along lines of cars sounding their horns on their way to the station and eventually made their way to the rear parking lot. A man could be seen breaking the window of a patrol car parked along the street. Some police officers were positioned on the roof of the station as people continued toward the building.
“Tonight, Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight, in Kenosha, Wisconsin,” said Governor Evers, a Democrat.
Outside the police station, protesters faced off with officers dressed in riot gear and held plastic shields and batons that they occasionally used to push people back.
“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.”
Tony Evers, the governor of Wisconsin, on Sunday night released a statement on Twitter condemning the shooting of a man who “was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight” and whom he identified as Jacob Blake.
A journalist for the WISN12 news channel reported that Blake was 29-years-old
“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,” Evers said. “We stand with all those who have and continue to demand justice, equity, and accountability for black lives in our country …
In a statement, the Wisconsin attorney general’s office said the department of justice was investigating “an officer involved in the shooting”.
“And we stand against excessive use of force and immediate escalation when engaging with black Wisconsinites. I have said all along that although we must offer our empathy, equally important is our action. In the coming days, we will demand just that of elected officials in our state who have failed to recognise the racism in our state and our country for far too long.”
“The involved officers have been placed on administrative leave,” the statement said.
Kenosha police referred all questions to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, which did not immediately respond to messages seeking to confirm details of the shooting video.
Kenosha imposed a “citywide curfew” over night. By late Sunday, multiple vehicle fires had been set and windows smashed along city thoroughfares as crowds faced off with law enforcement.
The Kenosha sheriff’s department and Wisconsin state patrol were called to the scene so another law enforcement agency could take over, police said in the news release.
Protesters chanted “no justice, no peace” and some appeared to throw objects at officers and damage police vehicles.
Meanwhile, Kenosha County late on Sunday night declared a state of emergency curfew, until 7am.
In a scene familiar from months of protests over racial injustice around the world following the deaths of Taylor, Floyd and other Black people killed by police, demonstrators headed to the Kenosha county public safety building, which police in riot gear had mostly blocked off. Some officers were positioned on the roof of the station.
The city of Kenosha is located on Lake Michigan, about 40 miles (64km) south of Milwaukee.
Outside, protesters faced off with officers who held plastic shields and batons they occasionally used to push people back. Tear gas was used to disperse groups of people, according to reporters at the scene.
A Kenosha police department dispatcher referred calls by the Associated Press to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the agency that will be investigating the shooting. A message left with DoJ was not immediately returned.
Kenosha police said officers responded to a reported domestic incident at 5.11pm in the city before the shooting occurred.
“Law enforcement immediately provided medical aid to the person who was shot,” the state justice department said in a statement. “Flight for Life transported the person to Froedtert hospital in Milwaukee. The person is serious condition.”
