Police officers in Kenosha, Wis., shot a Black man multiple times as he tried to get into a vehicle, cellphone video of the incident shows. The man, identified by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) as Jacob Blake, is in serious condition, according to the Kenosha Police Department.
The shooting happened after 5 p.m., when officers responded to a domestic incident, police said. Witnesses told the Kenosha News that Blake was trying to break up a fight.
The video shows neighbors congregated outside as two police officers with their guns drawn followed Blake as he approached a gray SUV. As Blake opened the driver’s side door, multiple shots ring out from the police.
Kenosha News reported that Blake was shot in front of his children.
Police have not commented on what led to the shooting. He was taken to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, police said.
Police turned the scene over to the Kenosha Sheriff’s Department and the Wisconsin State Patrol. The Wisconsin Department of Justice will investigate the shooting, police said.
“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,” Evers said in a statement. “We stand with all those who have and continue to demand justice, equity, and accountability for Black lives in our country.”
Hours after the incident, a crowd of protesters gathered at the intersection where the man was shot. Tensions rose as more police officers arrived at the scene, and several police cars were damaged. A video shows one police officer being hit with a brick and collapsing to the ground.
The group eventually moved away from the intersection. A live stream of a march through Kenosha showed some people walking down the street and others in their cars, with many eventually congregating outside the police station.
This story is developing.