Shooting of Jacob Blake

Jacob Blake is a Black man from Kenosha, Wisconsin, who was shot in the back by police on August 23, 2020. At the time of the incident, Blake had been charged with criminal trespassing, disorderly conduct, and sexual assault. Police were responding to a domestic disturbance and notified that Blake was on the premises. His presence was in violation of a restraining order.

A video showed Blake walking to his vehicle while flanked by police officers with their weapons drawn. When Blake opened the door to his SUV, one officer grabbed Blake by his shirt and fired seven times into his back. Three of Blake’s children were in the vehicle at the time of the shooting.

Officers provided Blake with first aid before rushing him to a hospital. Blake survived being shot but was left partially paralyzed. Video of the shooting was leaked to the Internet and went viral. Protestors flooded into Kenosha, and drew parallels between Blake and other unarmed African Americans, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, who had been shot by the police. These protesters, backed by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, marched against police brutality, and demanded police accountability, reform, and in some cases defunding. Some protests in Kenosha escalated into riots that resulted in significant property damage, and during one of these riots a counter-protester shot and killed two protesters.

Background

Jacob Blake grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, one of thirteen children in his family. Blake’s grandfather, Reverend Jacob Blake Sr., was a pastor at Ebenezer AME Church who had helped organize marches in the wake of the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. Blake’s mother, Julia Jackson, described her son as a peacemaker. According to Jackson, whenever Blake was presented with a conflict, he would work to deescalate it.

When Blake was in middle school, his family moved to a safer neighborhood in Evanston, Illinois. Black attended high school in Evanston and was a member of wrestling team. After graduating, Blake moved to Kenosha and soon fathered several children.

His time in Kenosha left Blake with a checkered past. He was accused of sexual assault by a former girlfriend, with whom he had three children, and a restraining order had been issued that forbid him from going near her home. Blake was charged with misdemeanor criminal trespassing, misdemeanor disorderly conduct, and felony third-degree sexual assault.

Overview

On August 23, 2020, Blake was involved in a violent incident with police. Blake was in the process of violating a restraining order by visiting the home of his ex-girlfriend. According to his lawyer, Blake was there to break up a domestic dispute occurring within the building. Blake’s three sons (ages three, five, and eight) were in his car. Police were called to respond to the domestic dispute taking place at the residence.

Before arriving, officers were informed that Blake was not allowed at the location. They also learned that he had gained possession of the complainant’s keys and refused to return them. At the time, a warrant had been issued for Blake’s arrest because of his previous charges. When two officers arrived at the scene, they were learned that Blake was attempting to leave. A third officer immediately requested more support, and three more squads of police officers were sent to the location.

At this point, two bystanders began filming the encounter between Blake and the police. One video briefly showed Blake on the ground, struggling against an officer. In the second video, Blake stood and walked toward his vehicle. He was closely followed by three officers, who had their guns aimed at him.

When Blake opened the driver’s side door of his SUV, one officer grabbed hold of his shirt. The officer then shot Blake in the back seven times in front of his children. Before reporting the indicent, the police officers moved their radio to a restricted channel to keep civilians from listening in. They then attempted to provide first aid to Blake.

Blake was loaded into an ambulance, which quickly drove him to a Flight for Life helicopter. He was transferred to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa for treatment. On the following day, the Department of Justice announced that the officers involved in the shooting had been placed on administrative leave. Though Blake survived the incident, doctors stated that his paralysis was likely permanent, and that it was unlikely he would ever walk again.

Video of the shooting was posted on the Internet and quickly sparked outrage. The video went viral and was viewed millions of times. Activists linked the shooting to the killings of several other Black people at the hands of police officers, including Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and George Floyd. Large numbers of protestors traveled to Kenosha to show that they were angry about Blake's treatment at the hands of police.

Some of the Kenosha protests quickly became violent, developing into riots. Numerous buildings were burned down, and heavily armed counter-protestors, some affiliated with alt-right and white supremacist groups, arrived to confront the protesters. The protests made national news and sparked additional protests across the country.

The violence between protesters and counter-protesters claimed two lives. Kyle Rittenhouse, a seventeen-year-old from the neighboring state of Illinois, traveled with a group of counter-protestors to protect property from rioters. Rittenhouse was armed with an illegal firearm. When threatened by a protestor, Rittenhouse shot and killed the man. While being pursued by the protestors, Rittenhouse shot two more people, killing one. He was later charged with first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree intentional homicide.

Bibliography

Asmelash, Leah. “Jacob Blake’s Mom Says He’d Be Upset Over the Unrest in City Where He Came for a Fresh Start.” News Boston, 26 Aug. 2020,

whdh.com/news/jacob-blakes-mom-says-hed-be-upset-over-the-unrest-in-city-where-he-came-for-a-fresh-start/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2020.

Clarke, Chevaz. “What We Know About Jacob Blake.” CBS News, 6 Sept. 2020, www.cbsnews.com/news/jacob-blake-sr-kenosha-wisconsin-police-shooting-victim/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2020.

Fonrouge, Gabrielle. “This Is Why Jacob Blake Had a Warrant Out for His Arrest.” New York Post, 28 Aug. 2020, nypost.com/2020/08/28/this-is-why-jacob-blake-had-a-warrant-out-for-his-arrest/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2020.

“Jacob Blake talks in new video from hospital bed: ‘It hurts to breathe.’” ABC, 5 Sept. 2020, abc7chicago.com/jacob-blake-speaks-in-new-video-from-hospital-it-hurts-to-breathe-/6410772/ Accessed 1 Oct. 2020.

Johnson, Shawn. “Rittenhouse Is Charged with Killing Two Protestors in Kenosha City on Aug. 25.” WPR, 28 Sept. 2020, www.wpr.org/kyle-rittenhouse-fights-homicide-charges-some-conservatives-portray-him-hero. Accessed 1 Oct. 2020.

Litke, Eric. “Kitle Rittenhouse’s Defense Team Released a Narrated Video From the Night of the Shooting. Where's What We Know About It.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 26 Sept. 2020, www.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/09/26/new-video-focuses-one-side-kyle-rittenhouse-shooting-kenosha/3537879001/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2020.

“What We Know About the Shooting of Jacob Blake.” New York Times, 10 Sept. 2020, www.nytimes.com/article/jacob-blake-shooting-kenosha.html. Accessed 1 Oct. 2020.

“Wisconsin National Guard called to Kenosha after police shoot Jacob Blake.” Kare 11, 11 Sept. 2020, www.kare11.com/article/news/local/wisconsin-national-guard-called-to-kenosha-after-police-shooting/89-3c2dfcdb-bfcd-4664-a114-ec9cad894568. Accessed 1 Oct. 2020.