Protests break out in Wisconsin after police shoot Black man multiple times
Hundreds of protesters gathered at multiple locations in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday night after a Black man was shot by police officers.
The man, later identified by Gov. Tony Evers (D) as Jacob Blake, is in serious condition at a Milwaukee hospital, the Kenosha Police Department said.
Witnesses told the Kenosha News that Blake was trying to break up a verbal altercation between two women when officers arrived at the scene and attempted to use a taser against him. Cellphone video captured by a witness shows two officers with their guns drawn following Blake as he walked to an SUV. Once he opens the driver's side door, shots are fired. Witnesses can be heard screaming throughout the video, which is about 20 seconds long.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Kenosha Police Department said officers were called to the scene for a domestic incident, and the Wisconsin Department of Justice will investigate the shooting. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump tweeted that the shooting took place in front of Blake's three sons, who were inside the SUV.
As word of the incident spread, demonstrators arrived at the scene of the shooting and the Kenosha County Public Safety Building, where the crowd yelled, "No justice, no peace!" Witnesses shot video showing riot police spraying tear gas at the protesters, The Washington Post reports, and soon after Kenosha County declared an emergency curfew, in effect until 7 a.m. Monday.
In a statement, Evers said that "while we do not have all of the details yet, what we know for certain is that [Blake] 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. We stand with all those who have and continue to demand justice, equity, and accountability for Black lives in our country." Catherine Garcia
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Ukraine fires ATACMS, Russia ups hybrid war
Speed Read Ukraine shot U.S.-provided long-range missiles and Russia threatened retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freeze
Speed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bans
Speed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sanctions Israeli West Bank settler group
Speed Read The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Amana, Israel's largest settlement development organization
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz ethics report in limbo as sex allegations emerge
Speed Read A lawyer representing two women alleges that Matt Gaetz paid them for sex, and one witnessed him having sex with minor
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in Russia
Speed Read The U.S. gave Ukraine the green light to use ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington, a decision influenced by Russia's escalation of the war with North Korean troops
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sri Lanka's new Marxist leader wins huge majority
Speed Read The left-leaning coalition of newly elected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won 159 of the legislature's 225 seats
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden arrives in Peru for final summits
Speed Read President Joe Biden will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, visit the Amazon rainforest and attend two major international summits
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published