Cell phone video posted to Facebook Sunday evening shows Kenosha police follow a Black man into his car, grab the back of his shirt and fire seven shots at point-blank range.
The video can be viewed at this link; some might find it very upsetting.
WISN news from Milwaukee has identified the man as 29-year-old Jacob Blake.
The Kenosha News reports that the man was taken by helicopter to a hospital, where he is in serious condition.
CBS58 from Milwaukee report that protests are underway in Kenosha tonight. Kenosha News reports that the county has issued an emergency curfew until 7 am.
A protest is happening now after a domestic incident turned into an officer-involved shooting in #Kenosha at 40th St. & 28th Ave.
Police confirm one person is in serious condition.
People on scene say the apparent victim is a man, and father. @CBS58 pic.twitter.com/jsg2ANSD28
— Kim Shine (@KimShineCBS58) August 24, 2020
The shooting happened at the corner of 40th Street and 28th Avenue in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Kenosha.
The Kenosha News is reporting that the state Department of Justice will investigate the incident.
The newspaper reports that witnesses said the man was trying to break of a fight when police intervened. It’s unclear why police were attempting to detain him, thought court records indicate that a warrant was issued for Blake’s arrest on July 7. Police apparently deployed a taser while he was walking to his vehicle.
Court records indicate no previous criminal charges against Blake in Wisconsin.
In the video, when he opens the door and leans inside, one officer can be seen grabbing the back of Blake’s shirt while seven gunshots can be heard. At least two officers can be seen with weapons drawn, but it’s not clear whether one or both were firing. It’s also unclear what the man was reaching into his vehicle for.
In a statement late Sunday, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers wrote, “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 …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 recognize the racism in our state and our country for far too long.”
This is a developing story. We will update with more details as they become available.
