At least two people killed, one injured during Wisconsin protests over police shooting of Jacob Blake
At least two people were killed and a third was injured on Tuesday night as gunfire erupted in the Wisconsin city of Kenosha amid a third night of protests that also saw law enforcement officers deploying tear gas, flash bangs and rubber bullets on demonstrators calling for systemic change following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, agency report says.
One of the victims was shot in the head and another in the chest, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Authorities confirmed early Wednesday that a third person also suffered non-life threatening injuries.
A series of videos posted on social media capture some of the confrontations during the late-night protests. One clip shows someone getting shot in the arm while a second features a man toting a semi-automatic weapon.
He can be seen opening fire as he becomes surrounded by a crowd of people.
So far, no arrests have been made in connection with the violence, but Beth said officers have identified one of the suspects.
The protests Tuesday were sparked by the shooting of 29-year-old Blake, who was struck seven times by police at close range on Sunday. His family said he was trying to help de-escalate a fight when he was shot by an officer as his children looked on.
The family’s attorney, Ben Crump, said the bullets severed Blake’s spinal cord and shattered his vertebrae, adding that he also suffered severe damage to his organs.
“It’s going to take a miracle for Jacob Blake Jr. to ever walk again,” Crump said.
Video of the incident prompted widespread outrage as soon as it started to make the rounds on social media. It shows Blake walking from the sidewalk around the front of his SUV to his driver-side door as officers follow him with their guns drawn and shout at him.
When Blake leans into the vehicle, an officer grabs his shirt from behind and opens fire.
Police fired tear gas for a third night Tuesday in a bid to disperse protesters demanding justice.
They flooded the area surrounding Kenosha’s courthouse, where some shook a protective fence erected by law enforcement. Others threw water bottles and fireworks, prompting the use of armored vehicles and officers with shields, who pushed back against protesters refusing to disperse.
Earlier Tuesday, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers called for calm while declaring a state of emergency — doubling the National Guard deployment in Kenosha from 125 to 250. The night prior, crowds destroyed dozens of buildings and set more than 30 fires in the downtown area.
“We cannot allow the cycle of systemic racism and injustice to continue,” said Evers, who is facing mounting pressure from Republicans over his handling of the unrest. “We also cannot continue going down this path of damage and destruction.”
