US1 min(s) read
Published 17:03 24 Aug 2020 GMT
Protests have broken out overnight in Wisconsin after police in Kenosha shot a black man from behind as he walked to his car on Sunday evening (23 August), BBC News has reported.
In an incident that was filmed and shared widely on social media, 29-year-old African American Jacob Blake can be seen walking away from several police officers. As he opens the door of a gray SUV, an officer grabs his shirt and then shoots him several times from behind.
Blake then appears to go limp and a sustained car horn blares. A woman nearby can also be seen jumping up and down, clearly anguished by the incident.
Multiple news sources have stated that Blake was shot seven times, although the exact number has yet to be officially revealed.
Per a statement posted on Twitter by the Kenosha Police Department, Blake is in serious condition at a hospital in Milwaukee.
Officers were reportedly responding to a "domestic incident", according to the statement.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice has said its Division of Criminal Investigation will be investigating the shooting and that the officers involved have now been placed on administrative leave.
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Civil rights attorney, Ben Crump, has since said that Blake's three sons were in the car at the time of the shooting.
"Confirmed: Jacob Blake’s 3 SONS were IN THE CAR he was getting into when @KenoshaPolice shot him tonight. They saw a cop shoot their father. They will be traumatized forever. We cannot let officers violate their duty to PROTECT us. Our kids deserve better!! [sic]," he wrote on Twitter.
CNN has also reported that Blakes' three children - aged three, five, and eight - were in the car at the time the shots were fired.
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Demonstrators have been taking to the streets since last night, and per the publication, a citywide curfew was issued for 7:00 AM. Buzzfeed News also details that police reportedly used tear gas on protesters who didn't leave following the announcement of the curfew.
In a series of tweets, the governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers, condemned the incident.
"We stand with all those who have and continue to demand justice, equity, and accountability for Black lives in our country—lives like those of George Floyd, of Breonna Taylor, Tony Robinson, Dontre Hamilton, Ernest Lacy, and Sylville Smith," he wrote, adding:
"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 recognize the racism in our state and our country for far too long.
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This news comes almost three months since George Floyd's death in Minneapolis.
As a result, the last few months have seen protests - some peaceful, some violent - erupts over the nation, as people call out the systemic injustices carried out against black people, not least seen by the recent deaths of Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, and Breonna Taylor.
As well as a call for justice, these ongoing protests are also demanding an end to police brutality and the racism that is so deeply entrenched in America and the western world.
The message is simple: Black lives matter.
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