Footage has emerged of a black man, Jacob Blake , being shot by a police officer in Milwaukee. The graphic footage shows the man, who appears unthreatening, initially with his hands in the air outside an SUV as three police officers stand with guns trained on him. The police officers are shouting at him to not move and get to the ground.
The man then begins walking away from the officers and to the other side of the SUV, where he then opens the car door and appears to reach down to either the glove compartment or under the front seat of the vehicle. The officer following tries to grab him and then shoots him 7 times in the back.
It seems as though only one officer discharged their weapon although this has been disputed by some witnesses. The man is said to be in a critical condition in hospital.
Kenosha police have released a statement saying that officers were attending a 'domestic incident', however further details are not clear at this point and the Wisconsin Department of Justice have now taken over the investigation.
At the time of writing some protests have begun to emerge on the streets in response to the incident and the Wisconsin Governor has also spoken out against the actions of the officers. Governor Tory Evers said on twitter:
"Tonight, Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kathy and I join his family, friends, and neighbors in hoping earnestly that he will not succumb to his injuries. 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. 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. 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."
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.
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) August 24, 2020
Others spoke out online in support of the officers, saying that the man should have obeyed them and cooperated and not acted in a manner that was likely to make officers believe the individual was potentially reaching for a weapon.
The reason why the man felt he had to enter the vehicle when he did not have to is unclear. The incident will no doubt continue to enflame tensions between the black community and law enforcement after a long-hot summer of police brutality and rioting following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
COMMENTS