Tue 25 August 2020:
Guard to deploy as Kenosha, Wisconsin to face curfew after night of civil unrest
WASHINGTON – The US National Guard has been called on to deploy to the midwestern city of Kenosha, Wisconsin on Monday after a police shooting left a Black man in serious condition and sparked mass unrest.
Governor Tony Evers said 125 guard members would be in the city by 8:15 p.m. local time (0115 GMT), serving in what he said would be a “limited” fashion “focused on supporting the needs of local first responders to protect critical infrastructure, such as utilities and fire stations, and to ensure Kenoshians are able to assemble safely.”
This video shows a police officer shooting a black man several times in the back while his three sons watched on. The officers say they were responding to reports of a domestic incident in Wisconsin. pic.twitter.com/L2ABpk7i2Z
— SBS News (@SBSNews) August 25, 2020
“I know folks across our state will be making their voices heard in Kenosha and in communities across Wisconsin. Every person should be able to express their anger and frustration by exercising their First Amendment rights and report on these calls to action without any fear of being unsafe,” Evers said in a statement.
The move comes after a Black man, identified by Evers as Jacob Blake, was shot in the back seven times in an incident that has triggered widespread outrage and made Kenosha the latest flashpoint of the US’s continued struggle with racial injustice and police shootings of unarmed Black men.
29-year-old was shot in the back 7 times by a white police officer while his three sons watched in horror.
The shooting occurred as police were responding to a “domestic incident,” the Kenosha Police Department said in a statement.
Graphic bystander video that emerged on social media appears to show Blake being shot multiple times after he opens the door to a car and reaches inside.
Attorney Ben Crump, who has been retained by Blake’s family, said Blake was shot after he attempted to “deescalate a domestic incident.”
**WARNING: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE**
Protests in Wisconsin after video appears to show police shooting black man in the back. Video on social media appears to show officers shoot at man seven times as he leaned into vehicle.
Source: DumpTheGuardianhttps://t.co/gGoQI77OL9 pic.twitter.com/Vkh8ISBXtQ— Ragged Trousered Philanderer (@RaggedTP) August 24, 2020
DEVELOPING: Wisconsin’s governor is sending up to 200 National Guard troops to Kenosha where a curfew is in effect following violent protests sparked by the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man.
WARNING: The video is disturbing.
Here’s @MolaReports pic.twitter.com/GJvaHk2AmQ
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) August 24, 2020
“As he was walking away to check on his children, police fired their weapons several times into his back at point-blank range,” Crump’s office said in a statement. “Blake’s three sons were only a few feet away and witnessed police shoot their father.”
Crump represents the families in several high-profile shootings of Black men, including those of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.
Wisconsin’s Department of Justice is investigating Blake’s shooting.
Kenosha County has declared a state of emergency, which will go into effect at 8:00 p.m., shortly before the National Guard are to arrive in the city. It is expected to run until 7 a.m.
By Michael Hernandez | Anadolu agency
