Americans woke on August 25th to what for many felt like a moment of deja-vu: news of yet another African American man shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Videos began circling overnight of an altercation between a black man, Jacob Blake, and police officers. Police shot Mr. Blake (who in the video, appears unarmed) many times in the back as he attempted to enter the driver's seat of his car while his three children watched, Us News, the BBC, and NBC report. Mr. Blake was rushed to the hospital for his injuries and is currently paralyzed from the waist down.
According to the Blake family attorney, Mr. Blake had been "helping to de-escalate a domestic incident"--rumors have stated that two woman had been arguing.
The city immediately declared a state of emergency as protestors began to flock to the streets in outrage. A large group began to gather in front of a municipal public safety building and forced the door from its hinges, but police quickly drove them back with pepper spray. The National Guard appears to have been called promptly, and troops were seen entering the city.
Through the Wisconsin governor, a Democrat, did call for troops in order to "maintain order," he also released a statement sympathizing with the victim, saying that police had shown a pattern of "excessive use of force and immediate escalation when engaging with Black Wisconsinites." He added, "We must rise to this movement and this moment and meet it with our empathy, our humanity and a fierce commitment to disrupt the cycle of systemic racism and bias that devastates Black families and communities."
Former Vice President Joe Biden called for the police involved to be held accountable.
Outrage has already started growing in the Apex area. Organizers have planned for a community march in downtown Raleigh this Friday, August 28th at 7pm.
Commenti