MADISON, Wis. (WFRV) – Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes will address Wisconsinites after Jacob Blake was shot by Kenosha Police Sunday evening.
According to Kenosha Police, officers were called to the 2800 block of 40th Street in Kenosha for a “Domestic Incident.”
The shooting happened at around 5 p.m. Sunday and was captured on cellphone video that was posted online. In that clip, which was taken from across the street, the Black man, who was later referred to by the governor as Jacob Blake, walks from the sidewalk around the front of his SUV to his driver-side door as officers follow him with their guns pointed and shout at him. As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV, an officer grabs his shirt from behind and opens fire while Blake has his back turned.
Seven shots can be heard, though it isn’t clear how many struck Blake or how many of the three officers who were at the scene fired shots. During the shooting, a Black woman can be seen screaming in the street and jumping up and down.
Blake was taken to a Milwaukee hospital and was in serious condition, the police department said in a news release in which it didn’t refer to him by name. The three officers were placed on administrative leave, as is standard practice in any officer-involved shooting.
Gov. Tony Evers issued a statement late Sunday condemning shooting of the man, whom he identified as Blake, saying in a statement that “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.”
“I have said all along that although we must offer our empathy, equally important is our action,” the Democratic governor said. “In the coming days, we will demand just that of elected officials in our state who have failed to recognize the racism in our state and our country for far too long.”
Protests were held in Kenosha Sunday night into Monday morning.
Affiliate WDJT captured the below photos showing burned out garbage trucks, vandalized businesses, and authorities surrounding the Kenosha County Courthouse.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice will be handling the investigation into the shooting.
Many notable people in Wisconsin have responded to the shooting:
