As Kenosha, Wisconsin, smoldered after a second night of arson and riots, a new video emerged to show Jacob Blake wrestling with police officers on Sunday moments before he was shot.
Kenosha exploded in fire and violence Sunday night after Blake, 29, was shot multiple times by police. He underwent surgery Sunday and was in stable condition Monday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
An initial video of the shooting showed Blake disregarding the commands of police officers who had their weapons drawn as he walked away from them and moved toward the driver’s door of an SUV. Officers followed Blake, who opened the door to the vehicle and leaned into it.
With the door blocking a clear view of exactly what happened, the video captured the sound of Blake being shot several times.
However, as happens so often with video evidence, there was another angle.
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Police had been summoned with the location on a domestic violence call. Initial reports indicated there was an argument between two women in which Blake played some unknown role.
In the latest video posted online, Blake is seen wrestling with at least two Kenosha police officers. The scuffle took place on the passenger’s side of the vehicle, which would have screened it from being seen by the initial video taken from the other side of the vehicle.
The new video shows Blake escaping the grip of Kenosha police officers and moving toward the front of his vehicle. After he entered the vehicle, shots could be heard.
On July 6, Blake had been charged by Kenosha County prosecutors with sexual assault, trespassing and disorderly conduct and an arrest warrant for him had been issued, the Daily Mail reported.
On Sunday, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers condemned the officers for the shooting.
“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,” the Democrat said on Twitter.
We stand with all those who have and continue to demand justice, equity, and accountability for Black lives in our country—lives like those of George Floyd, of Breonna Taylor, Tony Robinson, Dontre Hamilton, Ernest Lacy, and Sylville Smith.
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) August 24, 2020
Kenosha police responded to those comments Monday.
“Anytime deadly force is used, our hearts go out to those affected by it,” Pete Deates, president of the Kenosha Professional Police Association, said in a statement, according to the Kenosha News. “We assure you an independent investigation is being conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation.
“Until that investigation is completed, we ask that you withhold prejudgment about the incident and please the let process take place. Governor Evers’ statement on the incident was wholly irresponsible and not reflective of the hardworking members of the law enforcement community, not to mention the citizens of the City of Kenosha.
“As always, the video currently circulating does not capture all the intricacies of a highly dynamic incident. We ask that you withhold from passing judgment until all the facts are known and released. We, along with the citizens of the great City of Kenosha, ask for peace and to let the process play out fairly and impartially.”
Do you think the new video shows the officers had good reason to shoot Blake?
Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley said his office is investigating the shooting, according to CNN.
“We’re asked to make two determinations based on the evidence that is presented,” Graveley said. “One, did any officer, in this case, commit any crimes, and two, are there any crimes that we believe were committed that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt?”
As the process played out, rioters took to the streets Monday night, as they had Sunday, to torch buildings in downtown Kenosha.
Several businesses burning in #Kenosha’s Uptown district. Just a horrible scene. pic.twitter.com/n0Dph0Xg7R
— Julie Bosman (@juliebosman) August 25, 2020
Department of corrections building on fire as the American flag falls in #kenosha #KenoshaRiot pic.twitter.com/UISRL83RBK
— Pindrop (@StillPindrop) August 25, 2020
Sheriff David Beth of Kenosha County said the police were outnumbered.
“We’ve got 200 officers, I don’t know how many armored vehicles,” he said, according to The New York Times. “It’s not enough. It’s a battle we aren’t able to keep up with.”
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