A new wave of protests broke out this time in Kenosha, the city of Wisconsin, due to the death of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old African American, who was shot dead by police officers. The state government has ordered the National Guard to be dispatched.
The incident began on Sunday, August 23 at 5:11 pm when Kenosha police officers were called in for a domestic incident. At least half a dozen witnesses said the man was trying to break up a fight between two women and the police had tried to use a taser pistol before shooting him up to seven times at the point-blank range.
The shooting was caught on video. According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, police provided immediate help to the man, who was taken to Froedtert Hospital.
Just a couple of hours later, more than 60 people gathered at the scene. Later, protests and riots began that turned violent.
The authorities declared a curfew. However, SWAT vehicles remained on the streets to keep people off the streets. Some outlets reported that protesters threw stones and bricks at police, threw at least one Molotov cocktail, damaged property, looted a Boost Mobile store and even wrecked several cars from a dealership.
The state’s governor, Tony Evers, ordered the deployment of several National Guard units as another day of protests is expected.
#Kenosha pic.twitter.com/m9uSLsfU7J
— Kitty Shackleford (@KittyLists) August 24, 2020
@realDonaldTrump SIR, WITH ALL DUE GREAT RESPECT, WISCONSIN POLICE SHOOTING IS GOING TO BE A GREAT ONE, IS THIS A INSIDE JOB BY GREAT SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS, CHAOS. pic.twitter.com/4Ks8d1bnPG
— J.S (@J_S21_) August 24, 2020
KENOSHA: what I witnessed is that the city is extremely unprepared for planned demonstrations tonight
They haven’t even cleaned up the streets from last night’s riots
little police presence in the area
& “protesters” are already gathering
Not good
pic.twitter.com/0otDNyy0og— ELIJAH SCHAFFER (@ElijahSchaffer) August 24, 2020
There's mass chaos in Kenosha, WI after an officer involved shooting. A molotov cocktail (among other objects) was just thrown at officers, and somebody seriously injured pic.twitter.com/JYJLPnFtZQ
— Kitty Shackleford (@KittyLists) August 24, 2020