Jacob Blake’s father told rioters that violence and destruction are not going to help his son heal.
During an appearance Friday morning on CNN, Jacob Blake Sr. said the riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and other cities throughout the United States won’t bring back the black men who were killed or injured in controversial confrontations with police. He added that looting and burning will not help his son, who was left paralyzed after being shot several times by a police officer over the weekend.
“You have to understand that we don’t prescribe to useless and violence. Violence and looting and burning, that’s not going to bring Trayvon [Martin] back. That’s not going to bring George Floyd back. That’s not going to bring Tamir Rice back. I could go on and on. That’s not going to bring them back,” Blake said.
“That’s not going to make my son get up out of that bed and walk. Only God could get him up out of the bed and make him walk. And if he does not, then that’s God’s will. That’s his will. There’s nothing you can do past his will. All you can do is take the prescription — that if you take the prescription, one day, you’ll be somewhere where you want to be. But if you don’t take the prescription, and you don’t stay humble, then you can’t go. So, we can address — I can’t be angry because I still have to be faithful,” he said.
Blake’s mother, Julia Jackson, has similarly condemned the violence. She urged protesters to remain peaceful and noted that she does not believe all police officers are bad because of what happened to her son.
Protests in Kenosha began on Sunday after a video of Blake being shot went viral. The demonstrations quickly got violent, leading to looting and vandalism, and on Tuesday, two people were killed, and another was injured in a shooting. Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Illinois, has been arrested and charged in connection with the shooting.
The younger Blake was shot seven times at close range after he attempted to enter his car during an arrest. His children were in the car at the time of the shooting. Wisconsin authorities said they found a knife on the driver’s side floorboard of Blake’s vehicle. His father said that Blake has been handcuffed to his hospital bed, though it is not clear why he is still in custody or if he has been charged with any crimes.
