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Who Is Jacob Blake? Black Man Shot By Kenosha Police Was Reportedly Breaking Up Fight

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 15:18 PST, Aug 23, 2020

Jacob Blake has been identified as the man shot in the back by members of the Kenosha Police Department in an incident that has captured nationwide attention and led to protests in the Wisconsin city.

Video posted to Twitter on Sunday appeared to show several officers surrounding a man as he attempted to open the front door of a car. As the person leaned into the vehicle, a series of seven gunshots was heard and the victim was seen going motionless in the front of the vehicle.

Reporter Sarah Thamer of WISN reported that the victim was the 29-year-old Blake.

Blake Was Reportedly Breaking Up A Fight Before Shooting

The Kenosha News reported that neighbors said the individual identified as Blake was trying to break up a fight before being shot by officers. The department released a statement saying that they came to the scene of a domestic call, but did not specify the role the victim had, if any.

“At 5:11pm Kenosha Police Officers were sent to the 2800 block of 40th Street for a domestic incident and were involved in an officer involved shooting,” the statement read.

The Kenosha News report noted that he is a father, and Thamer shared a picture provided by his fiance that showed him smiling next to four young children. As the news outlet noted, neighbors said the shooting took place in front of his children.

In the wake of the shooting, many took to social media to call for justice and called on people to “say his name,” which has become a rallying cry for those protesting officer-involved shootings of people of color across the country.

A number of political leaders also spoke out about the shooting, with some calling for an investigation and questioning why they needed to shoot Blake when it did not appear the individual was armed.

“Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin appear to shoot a man seven times in the back at point blank range after he ignores commands,” tweeted former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro. “We’re no other non-lethal methods considered, @KenoshaPolice?”

“It just keeps happening,” tweeted Eliza Orlins, a New York City public defender and candidate for district attorney in the city. “I will not share the video. No one should have to watch that But here is a beautiful photo of 29-year-old Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times in the back by police in broad daylight in Kenosha, Wisconsin. SAY HIS NAME.”

In the wake of the shooting, many gathered in the street near where the incident took place, with some of the demonstrations turning violent.

Blake Airlifted To Milwaukee Hospital In Serious Condition

The statement from Kenosha police noted that officers at the scene provided immediate medical aid to Blake, though he was not mentioned by name at the time. He was later airlifted to a hospital close to 40 miles away in Milwaukee, where he was listed in serious condition.

Though family members have shared pictures of the victim with reporters, officials had not yet officially identified Blake.

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