US1 min(s) read
Published 14:33 25 Aug 2020 GMT
Per The Guardian, Jacob Blake, the black man shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, has been paralyzed from the waist down, his father has said.
In an incident (23rd August) 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.
Blake's three children were inside the SUV at the time of the shooting, and the 29-year-old remains in hospital.
Blake's father, who is also called Jacob Blake, told the Chicago Sun Times that his son has "eight holes" in his body and is paralysed from the waist down.
As of now, it is unclear whether the paralysis is permanent.
"What justified all those shots?" Blake said to the publication. "What justified doing that in front of my grandsons? What are we doing?"
The incident has prompted widespread protests in Kenosha for the second night running. On Monday, some demonstrators violated the 8 PM curfew.
Per The Guardian, police fired teargas around 30 minutes after the curfew took effect in order to disperse protestors who chanted "no justice, no peace". A number of buildings in Kenosha were set on fire, including a Wisconsin department of corrections building.
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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