Jacob Blake Shoots Touching Video from Hospital Bed
On Sunday afternoon in Kenosha, Wisconsin, an officer pulled into a residential neighborhood to respond to a domestic incident. There, the officer was caught on video firing seven shots into the back of a black man who was trying to get into a silver SUV. Witnesses said he was there to mediate a dispute between two women. His three children were in the car and watched as their father was shot. His name is Jacob Blake and he is currently fighting for his life (open in new tab).
Update 9/8: In a video shot from his hospital bed, Blake says: "This is how life, not just life, but your legs, what you need to move around and move forward in life, can be taken from you."
According to his family, Blake is paralyzed from the waist down and it is unclear if he will ever be able to use his legs. Says Blake, "Every 24 hours I have nothing but pain and aching." It hurts to breathe, it hurts to sleep. It hurts to move from side to side. It hurts to eat.
Original article The police officers involved were placed on administrative leave, and the city of Kenosha imposed an emergency curfew after the late-night protests continued into the early morning hours.
"Jacob is out of surgery and in ICU," Blake's cousin wrote on Twitter. 'We will continue to pray for him while he struggles. We will not condone the actions of the Kenosha Police Department, but his mother asks that everyone keep the peace."
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The Washington Post (open in new tab) reports that the Wisconsin Department of Justice will investigate the shooting. It is an all-too-familiar series of events following the unlawful killings of George Floyd (open in new tab), Breanna Taylor (open in new tab), Rashard Brooks (open in new tab), and many others.
Wherever you are, there are many ways to seek justice for Jacob Blake. Here are some of those ways.
Sign a petition demanding justice for Jacob Blake.
Donate to the Milwaukee Freedom Fund, which supports Kenosha protesters with bail money.
Call or email Kenosha officials from this list created by Twitter user @ankita_71. (opens in new tab)
Click here to split your donation to the National Bail Fund (opens in new tab).
Click here to donate to Black Lives Matter (opens in new tab).
Sign Black Lives Matter's #DefundThePolice petition.
Click here to donate to Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of black organizations across the United States (opens in new tab).
Click here to register to vote in each state's upcoming election (opens in new tab).
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