Tear gas was deployed for protests that broke out in Wisconsin after a police shooting on Sunday.
KTLA in Los Angeles reported a domestic disturbance call in Kenosha at approximately 5:00 p.m.
While authorities in Kenosha did not provide immediate details on what led up to the shooting, a viral video was taken by a neighborhood resident, Raysean White, shows an African American man being confronted by police.
As the man, identified as 29-year-old Jacob Blake, leaned into his gray SUV, one of the officers grabbed Blake by the shirt and began shooting. A total of seven shots were fired as his children inside the vehicle looked on.
Blake’s family members, along with an official statement from the Kenosha Police Department, indicate that Blake was taken to Froedert Hospital in Milwaukee, where he underwent surgery and is now in critical but stable condition.
The Kenosha Police Department also said that the officers involved in the shooting had been placed on administrative leave. The incident prompted criticism from Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers.
“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,” Evers said. “We stand with all those who have and continue to demand justice, equity, and accountability for Black lives in our country.”
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This latest shooting, along with the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Breonna Taylor, ignited outrage in the community, and several protests broke out across the city. Several dump trucks that were being used to block off streets were set ablaze, and the windows of several police vehicles along with a window of the public library were smashed.
The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew prohibiting people on the streets until 7:00 a.m.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice will be investigating the incident in cooperation with the Kenosha Police Department’s Internal Affairs.
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