Crowds gather in Kenosha after police shoot man; video circulating social media appears to show officer firing several shots into man’s back

Kenosha police shot a man Sunday evening, setting off unrest in the city after a video appeared to show the officer firing several shots at close range into the man’s back.

The shooting has been identified as Jacob Blake, a Black man, by Wisconsin officials.

Police had been called to a domestic incident in the 2800 block of 40th Street at 5:11 p.m. where the shooting later occurred.

Officers provided immediate aid to the shooting victim, who was taken by Flight for Life to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, Kenosha police reported.

The man was in serious condition at Froedtert.

“Tonight, Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement. “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.”

The Kenosha News reported that neighbors said Blake was trying to break up a fight between two women. Bystanders said he was Tased and then shot several times.

A video circulating on social media shows a man in a white shirt and black shorts walking to a gray van, followed by two male police officers with weapons drawn. The video does not show what happened before the man walked away from the officers, nor what was said, if anything.

As the man opens the door to get in, an officer grabs his shirt to hold him still, then appears to shoot him in the back at close range. Seven shots are heard, followed by a car horn, presumably from the man’s head falling forward. A woman who followed behind the police can be seen screaming and jumping up and down.

Kenosha police requested Wisconsin State Patrol and Kenosha County Sheriff’s deputies come to the scene because the shooting involved an officer. 

A dispatcher referred media calls Sunday night to the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation. A message left with DOJ was not immediately returned.

Large crowds soon gathered at the scene of the shooting. A livestream from podcaster Koerri Elijah showed small fires in the street and a person, possibly an officer, lying prone on the ground, surrounded by officers.

The crowds began moving away from the scene, and the video showed people walking down the sidewalk and street, some on bicycles with some vehicles accompanying them, occasionally chanting. The video showed people kicking at police vehicles and later it appeared some fireworks were set off. 

“Things have been very heated, tons of damage to cop cars, an officer was actually knocked out,” the person taking video said.

A crowd of about 100 had reached the Kenosha County Public Safety Building by 10:15 p.m. and were chanting “no justice, no peace.”

A line of police flanked the building and faced off with the crowd, moving them back away from the building.

The County of Kenosha declared a state of Emergency Curfew for 10:15 p.m., saying “the public needs to be off the streets for their safety.” It will be enforced until 7 a.m.

At 11:05 police began backing up in a cordon around the front doors of the police station and then set off teargas canisters as people ran in fear, trying to wipe their eyes.

At 11:15 p.m., a city dump truck that had been positioned to prevent traffic from heading toward the police department was fully engulfed in fire. Some people were getting close to take pictures until someone shouted that the gas tank could blow.

This story will be updated.

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