Father of Wisconsin Police Shooting Victim Says Son Is Paral
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2020 1:40 pm
People hold placards as they gather for a protest outside the Kenosha County Courthouse, August 24, 2020, after a Black man, identified as Jacob Blake, was shot several times by police Sunday night in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The father of Jacob Blake, the Black man who was shot Sunday by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, said his son is paralyzed from the waist down.
Blake’s father, who is also named Jacob Blake, told the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper Tuesday his son has “eight holes” in his body from his confrontation with police. He said doctors do not know if the paralysis will be permanent.
The shooting was captured on cellphone video and led to two nights of unrest in the southeastern Wisconsin city located between Milwaukee and Chicago.
The elder Blake said he was driving from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Kenosha to be with his son. He told the Sun-Times he learned about the shooting Sunday night and saw the now-viral video of it online a few minutes later. The video appears to show police shooting his son in the back.
In the video, the younger Blake was seen walking to his vehicle and being followed by two police officers who had their guns drawn. As Blake entered the driver's side of the car, several gunshots were heard on the recording. A family attorney said his children were inside the car.
The incident has sparked two nights of sometimes violent demonstrations in Kenosha. Police used tear gas Monday to subdue protesters as they marched in front of City Hall. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers called the National Guard Monday to help keep the peace.
The protesters, led by Black Lives Matter activists, plan to march again Tuesday.
The shooting occurred nearly three months after the May 25 death of a Black man in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The death of George Floyd sparked nationwide protests against perceived police brutality and racism.