Jacob Blake is paralyzed from the waist down after being shot by Kenosha Police, father says
Jacob Blake, the black man shot multiple times in an altercation with Kenosha Police Department officers over the weekend, is paralyzed from the waist down, his father told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Blake, 29, was shot in the back seven or eight times by officers who, based on a brief video clip, appeared to be attempting to detain him after responding to a domestic disturbance call. It's unclear what role Blake played in the domestic dispute, but witnesses have said Blake was there to break up the fight.
From the Sun-Times:
His father said there are now "eight holes" in his son's body, and he's paralyzed from the waist down. Doctors don't yet know if the injury is permanent.
The elder Blake is now making the drive from Charlotte, North Carolina, to be with his son in the hospital Tuesday.
"I want to put my hand on my son's cheek and kiss him on his forehead, and then I'll be OK," his father said. "I'll kiss him with my mask. The first thing I want to do is touch my son."
The Kenosha Police Department has not released further information about the incident yet, so the only available evidence is a video clip that begins with Blake being restrained on the ground by multiple officers near his car.
CNN reported that during the 911 call that brought officers to the scene, the dispatcher says Blake "isn't supposed to be there" and that he had taken someone's keys and refused to leave the scene.
The person who recorded the viral video of the shooting, Raysean White, said Blake showed up at the scene where two women were arguing, told one of his sons who was there to get in his car, and then walked into a home. White said he stepped away for a few moments and returned to see police wrestling with Blake, which is when he started recording.
One witness said the officers were punching and tasing Blake on the ground. Somehow, as the video shows, Blake escapes their grip and is able to get up. He begins walking around his car toward the driver's side front door. The officers follow him around the car, with guns aimed at him.
Blake opens the door and reaches in, and at least one officer shoots him in the back multiple times at close range. Blake's children were reportedly in the car at the time.The witness said he heard officers say Blake had a knife. It's unknown whether Blake was in possession of a knife or any other weapon.
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The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave as state and county law enforcement officials conduct an investigation.
Court records show that Blake was charged with third-degree sexual assault, trespassing, and disorderly conduct in connection with domestic abuse on July 6, and an arrest warrant was issued on July 7, but it's not clear whether or not those charges were a factor in the attempted arrest of Blake or the shooting.