A video appeared in the media, where three police officers fired several shots at close range into the man's back. Jacob Blake is the victim, who took shots fired by the police officers in Kenosha on 23 August 2020, as identified as Wisconsin officials. Jacob Blake is a black man, and the incident has further ignited the rage of racial disputes.
While the United States is already on fire due to the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, Jacob Blake's shooting is the kerosene to the fire. Blake was immediately rushed to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, where his health is in serious condition.
The police officers who were involved in the shooting are now on their administrative leave, as per the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation. The police were called to a domestic incident in the 2800 block of 40th Street at 5:11 p.m., where the shooting took place. The officers immediately came to aid Jacob Blake, and he was taken to Froedtert Hospital through the flight.
Concerning the shooting case of Jacob Blake, Governor Tony Evers confirmed the identity of the victim. Evers also compared the shooting to the officer-involved deaths of Breonna Taylor in Louisville and George Floyd in Minneapolis, which attained international attention and protests as well. He released a statement:
"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."
As per the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Jacob Blake was still breathing until 8:30 p.m. And before 11 p.m., the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department issued a curfew, which got lifted out on Monday morning.
Shooting scene of Jacob Blake
Tony Evers mentioned:
"Tonight, Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kathy and I join his family, friends, and neighbours 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."
Nevertheless, Jacob Blake's shooting incident has caused many enragements amongst the people around the United States. Similarly, there have been many protests across the nation.
There is likely to be a nationwide protest against gun violence following the George Floyd case back in a few months. Jacob Blake is the latest black people to be the prime reason for the racial dispute.