Washington, August 24: A video released on social media showed the police personnel in Kenosha town of Wisconsin province shooting an unarmed black man. The gruesome attack on the victim was carried out while his children were seated in the car. The incident sparked a fresh wave of protests in Wisconsin, days after the province was rocked by demonstrations seeking justice for George Floyd. BBC Issues Apology After Flak For Using Racial Slur in Report on Attack Against Black NHS Worker in Bristol.
The police shooting incident in Kenosha was reported 5:11 pm local time on Sunday. A statement released by the Kenosha police department said a team of cops had reached the 2800 block of 40th Street to respond to a case of domestic violence.
Further details were not shared to reveal how the cops ended up shooting the black man, identified as Jacob Blake. A clip shared on social media showed the victim crossing an SUV from the front and opening the door of driver's seat. One of the cops catches his T-shirt while he attempted to enter the car. Subsequently, seven bullets were fired by the police on Blake.
Video Shows Police Shooting Black Man in Kenosha
WARNING GRAPHIC ⚠️ Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin shoot an unarmed man in the back pic.twitter.com/ZPdixPNwJY
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) August 24, 2020
The video also showed a woman screaming at the police personnel as they began shooting Blake. The victim's three children were seated in the car when the firing took place, reports confirmed.
After the rounds were fired, locals and neighbours also arrived at the site and raised slogans against the police force. Taking cognisance of the brewing anger, a curfew was imposed across Kenoshi to prevent public demonstrations.
Blake was rushed to the nearest medical facility. Since his condition had deteriorated, he was airlifted to Milwaukee town for treatment. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers issued a statement to express anguish over the incident. He assured that all possible steps will be taken to save his life.
"Tonight, Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kathy and I join his family, friends, and neighbors 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," the statement issued by the Governor read.
In several parts of Wisconsin province, protests led by Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists erupted. The shooting incident, which bears resemblance with the murder of 46-year-old George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, also comes barely two days after the police killing of another black man - 31-year-old Trayford Pellerin in Lafayette town of Louisiana.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 24, 2020 03:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).