An unarmed black father was shot in the back seven times by a white police officer in front of his children and a video of the incident has ignited outrage.
Wisconsin cops were called to the scene due to a domestic dispute. They responded but it ended in one of them shooting the man at around 5pm on Sunday, August 23.
Rioting and protests erupted in the wake of the shooting as the County of Kenosha declared a state of emergency and a curfew has been put into effect by authorities until 7am on Monday.
The black man, who has been identified as 29-year-old Jacob Blake, was airlifted to a Milwaukee hospital, where he is listed in serious condition following the police shooting in Kenosha that prompted neighbors to gather and confront officers at the scene on Sunday night.
Jacob Blake and his children
Reacting to the shooting, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers issued a statement denouncing “excessive use of force” by police.
As video of the shooting quickly went viral, more protesters took to the streets of Kenosha.
Video posted to social media shows a large crowd numbering hundreds of protesters gathered outside a Kenosha police station chanting “Black Lives Matter” and other slogans denouncing law enforcement.
Several protesters jumped on top of police squad cars and smashed windows.
One video circulating on social media shows a Kenosha police officer collapse to the pavement after witnesses said he was struck with a brick.
Another video shows a row of protesters walking toward a line of police officers clad in riot gear as simmering tensions threaten to escalate the situation.
A dump truck that was parked at an intersection to prevent traffic from moving toward the police department was set on fire.
Police did not provide details about what led to the shooting, but said the person was transported to a hospital in Milwaukee for treatment.
In a video posted on social media Sunday that appeared to show the shooting from across the street, three officers could be seen shouting and pointing their weapons at Blake, who walked around the front of an SUV parked on the street.
As Blake opened the driver’s side door and leaned inside, one officer grabbed his shirt from behind and then fired into the vehicle.
At least seven shots could be heard, though it was unclear if more than one officer fired.
Local reports indicate that Blake’s children were inside the SUV and watched as their father was gunned down.
Benjamin Crump, a civil rights attorney who represents George Floyd’s family, shared video of the incident on his Twitter feed. He noted that the shooting took place right in front of Blake’s three children.
“They saw a cop shoot their father,” Crump tweeted.
“They will be traumatized forever. We cannot let officers violate their duty to PROTECT us. Our kids deserve better!!”
Several witnesses said that Blake tried to break up a fight between two women outside a nearby home, according to Kenosha News
