Massive protests erupted in the United States' city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, after cops shot a black man in the back multiple times from a close range as he got into a car on August 23.
The man, identified as Jacob Blake was airlifted to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee and was in serious condition, Kenosha police said.
NEW: Wisconsin @GovEvers on Kenosha shooting: "Tonight, Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight, in Kenosha, Wisconsin." pic.twitter.com/RNMVAtZFwv
— Matt Smith (@mattsmith_news) August 24, 2020
Police said that the shooting occurred when they were responding to a domestic incident at about 5:11 pm.
Some footage captured on phones show a black man followed by two police officers with guns pointed at him as he goes near a grey SUV. As Blake opens the door and tries to get into the driver's seat, one of the cops pulls his T-shirt and he appears to be shot repeatedly in the back.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said Blake's three sons were in the car at the time and he had been trying to break up a fight between two women.
"They saw a cop shoot their father. They will be traumatized forever," Civil rights attorney Ben Crump tweeted. Crump also represents the family of George Floyd, a black man who died on May 25 when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
After the incident, huge crowd of protestors faced off against police. Kenosha city later declared an overnight curfew.
Wisconsin Department of Justice said that its criminal investigation division was investigating the shooting. "The involved officers have been placed on administrative leave," it said in a statement on August 24.
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