Viral Video Appears To Show Kenosha, Wisconsin, Police Officers Shooting Black Man In The Back
A viral video appeared to show police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin, shooting a black man in the back as he tried to enter a car, a clip that has sparked an immediate backlash online.
The video looked to be taken from across the street and appears to start in the middle of the incident, showing people screaming as police surrounded a man who was walking around a car parked in the street. A police officer was seen with an outstretched arm holding what appeared to be a weapon, reaching for the man as he walked to the driver’s side of the vehicle.
As the individual opened the door and reached into the car’s front seat, the police officer was seen pulling at his white shirt. A series of seven shots then rang out, and the person stopped moving. Another woman ran to the front of the vehicle as the shots were heard and began jumping in response to the gunshots.
The video, which may be disturbing to some viewers, has garnered viral interest on Twitter and can be seen here.
The incident drew a sharp backlash online, with many condemning Kenosha police and some calling on those involved be charged. Further details about the shooting were not known, including why officers fired at the individual. And while some who shared the images identified the victim as being unarmed, it was unclear from the footage whether the victim had a weapon.
The scenes in the viral footage appeared to match the circumstances and images from a story published Sunday night by Fox 6 Now. The outlet reported that officers shot an individual while responding to a domestic call near 28th Avenue and 40th Street in the city.
The shooting took place just before 5:15 p.m. local time, and the report noted that police provided immediate aid before the victim was airlifted to a hospital in Milwaukee, close to 40 miles to the north.
A crowd is gathering at a home in Kenosha, where officers have blocked off an area near 40th and 28th Avenue. No other details have been released. @TMJ4Stephanie is working to learn more. Stay with TMJ4 for updates. pic.twitter.com/U0Zusf1rTH
— TMJ4 News (@tmj4) August 24, 2020
A press release from Kenosha police posted to Twitter noted that the man was in serious condition, and said that the incident was under further investigation.
“Kenosha Sheriff’s Department and Wisconsin State Patrol were requested immediately so that the scene could be turned over to an agency other than Kenosha Police,” the release read, adding that the shooting was being investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s division of criminal investigation.
The identity of the person shot by Kenosha police has not been released.
