KENOSHA, Wis. — An officer involved shooting of a Black man in Kenosha, Wis., on Sunday led to hourslong protests that devolved into arson, looting, and riots. Moreover, one officer appeared to be knocked out after getting hit in the head with what witnesses described as a brick, according to a video posted on social media.
Graphic video posted by Twitter user @BotchlaUS on Sunday night shows a pair of officers walking around a police car amid a backdrop of fighting and small fires when the officer is seen suddenly collapsing to the ground.
Footage of officer getting knocked out with a brick in Kenosha. pic.twitter.com/zZYypCgyja
— Nick ?? (@BotchlaUS) August 24, 2020
Other police officers can be seen trying to help the injured cop as people in the background are heard yelling, “He just got bricked,” and, “F*** the police,” the video shows.
“Officer down,” police were heard yelling on the scanner, according to The Journal Times.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the officer was from Kenosha Police Department or another law enforcement agency.
— Kenosha Police Dept. (@KenoshaPolice) August 24, 2020
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported that police were dispatched on a domestic violence call at about 5:11 p.m. prior to the shooting. The report said that officers administered aid to Blake, who was airlifted to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee.
Police did not immediately provide details about what led to the shooting.
Julian Castro, the former 2020 Democrat presidential hopeful, retweeted a purported video of the shooting that appeared to show officers yelling at Blake as he tried to walk around an SUV and get into a driver’s side seat. One of the officers appears to hold Blake by his shirt and open fire, Fox News reported.
WARNING: this video is extremely graphic.
Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin appear to shoot a man seven times in the back at point blank range after he ignores commands. We’re no other non-lethal methods considered, @KenoshaPolice?
pic.twitter.com/dO4VimGCky— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) August 24, 2020
The OIS led to riots.
#BREAKING: Large crowd has formed outside the scene of an officer-involved shooting in #Kenosha. @KenoshaPolice say they a man is seriously hurt. People are now breaking the windows of cop cars. Warning – expletives @tmj4 pic.twitter.com/pKqbSKrZQY
— Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) August 24, 2020
Gov. Tony Evers on Sunday night condemned the shooting of the man, who he identified as Jacob Blake, saying in a statement that “while we do not have all of the details yet, what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country.”
While we do not have all of the details yet, what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country.
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) August 24, 2020
The Wisconsin Department of Justice is now investigating the shooting, Fox News reported.
BREAKING: MASSIVE garbage truck fires set in Wisconsin by rioters
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 24, 2020
By late Sunday, multiple vehicle fires had been set and windows smashed along city thoroughfares as crowds faced off with law enforcement. Officers in riot gear stood in lines and SWAT vehicles remained on the streets to move people away from city buildings despite the declaration of an overnight curfew.
According to reporters at the scene, tear gas was used to disperse groups of people.
BLM rioters have completely torched this local small business building in Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/bPIcjXbi0G
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 24, 2020
Cellphone and interior surveillance footage shared by CBS 58 shows people looting multiple local stores.
And reporter on the ground Drew Hernandez, who uses the Twitter handle @livesmattershow,” shared his own footage of people smashing windows and climbing into storefronts.
BLM rioters not holding back by vandalizing and looting local businesses here in Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/wzfWq9OlUU
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 24, 2020
People also reportedly set several fires to cars and buildings, videos posted by Hernandez show.
BLM rioters have completely torched this local small business building in Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/bPIcjXbi0G
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 24, 2020
One of the images shows what he describes as a “local small business building” up in flames.
Up close look at the car dealership fire set by BLM arsonists in Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/Mv1CC7htiD
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 24, 2020
He also shared several videos of what was reported to be a car dealership set on fire.
WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE
BREAKING: Rioters corner police with assault weapons in Wisconsin
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 24, 2020
Earlier in the night, Hernandez captured video showing a group of people blocking an armored police vehicle and shouting that the police are “instigating,” and that they’re, “f****** cowards.”
