The father of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man who was shot by law enforcement officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin, says his son is paralyzed.
The elder Blake said his son now has “eight holes” in his body and that he is paralyzed, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report on Tuesday. The outlet noted that the doctors are not certain the paralysis will be permanent. The father is driving from his home in North Carolina to his son, who is being treated at the Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee.
Kenosha police say they responded to a call about a potential domestic disturbance on Sunday. A video posted to social media showed a black man, believed to be Blake, walking from the passenger side of the car around the hood with officers following him as their guns were drawn.
The man opened the driver door as an officer was holding onto the back of his shirt. The man who is believed to be Blake starts to move inside the car, after which the officers start firing their guns. Several shots can be heard in the video. It is unclear if there was a weapon in the vehicle. The video does not show what happened before the man walked away from the officers.
Blake’s family said his three children were in the car.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident, and the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.
The shooting, which is the latest in a string of violence against black men by law enforcement officers, sparked protests and riots in the streets of Kenosha in the days following. The unrest that followed the shooting is reminiscent of the protests that broke out three months ago after George Floyd, a black man, died in Minneapolis police custody.
