Protests Erupt in Kenosha for Second Night Following Jacob Blake Shooting by Officer

Protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, continued for a second evening on Monday in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting. The incident in question saw Blake being shot in the back at least seven times by police officers, all while his three children were in the car he was attempting to sit back into. The viral video has left the state and the country reeling as another example of police brutality along the lines of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, both of which occurred this year.

Scenes of riots unfolded during the late hours of Monday and into early Tuesday morning. Government buildings saw damage along with local businesses. Cop cars also were the subject of destruction, being set on fire throughout the protests. With Kenosha under turmoil, Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, ordering 250 Wisconsin National Guard troops to come in and provide protection for authorities and notable infrastructure. The state’s capital, Madison, also saw frustrations mount in the streets as protests went on for a second night. Authorities utilized tear gas and pepper spray as damages were seen across the area. Before riots broke out in both Kenosha and Madison, the protests were peaceful during the daytime until taking a turn for the worse as the sun went down and the 8 p.m. curfew passed by.

As more and more information comes out from the scary scene involving Blake, it was reported on Tuesday that the 29-year-old, who remains hospitalized, has been paralyzed from the waist down. Speaking with the Chicago Sun Times, the father of Blake who shares the same name as his son, called for justice, asking, “what justified all those shots?”

The family of Blake hasn’t been alone in the fight for justice, either. The frustrations and call for change have climbed into the entertainment and sports industry, where many professional athletes voiced their opinions on all that has transpired over the past few days. Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James sent out a tweet asking for justice while fellow All-Star and Utah Jazz guard, Donovan Mitchell, tweeted about how he and other Black Americans do not feel safe anymore.