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Kenosha, WI Burns After Jacob Blake Shooting
On Sunday, August 23, 29-year old Jacob Blake was shot in the back at least 7 times by police officers. Reports say that he was trying to break up a domestic dispute between two women. A cell phone video taken from across the street shows Blake walking away from police officers. He walked as they yell at him with their guns drawn. Upon reaching the door to his SUV and opening it, one officer grabs his shirt and begins shooting.
It is unclear how many of the officers opened fire, and what occurred prior to the shooting. All 3 officers that were at the scene have been placed on administrative leave pending a thorough investigation. They are all cooperating with the investigation.
Blake was taken to a Milwaukee hospital in serious condition and is currently paralyzed from the waist down. Doctors are unsure if the condition is permanent. It was reported that 3 of Blake’s 6 children were in the backseat of his SUV at the time of the shooting.
Kenosha in Flames
Small, competing protests near Civic Center Park in downtown Kenosha. https://t.co/bjD4FkWuq3 pic.twitter.com/suuCCUfuqq
— Ashlee Rezin (@Ashlee_Rezin) August 24, 2020
The small town of Kenosha has a population of just over 100,000. On Sunday night, large crowds formed and became riots. Police cars were burned and a police officer was beaten with a brick.
The mobs surrounded a police station and banged on the doors, but were greeted with tear gas and rubber bullets.
Things deteriorated from there, and the mobs moved onto Civic Center Park. There, they began to light the Department of Public Works trucks on fire. The unrest continued throughout the night as businesses were lit on fire and windows were broken.
Local Black Lives Matter activists have declared that if the officers are not fired. They also announced that if the investigation is not made public, the riots and the burning will continue.
“I do think that if they do not arrest this officer, there is a huge risk for another night like last night,” local activist Kyle Flood said.
Mobs Growing by the Day
Kenosha had made national news by Sunday night. Additionally, activists from neighboring states began to travel to Kenosha to participate in protests and riots. The city declared an 8 pm curfew for Monday night. However, many organized and unorganized protests were scheduled to begin after that.
On Monday night, police deployed tear gas multiple times, followed by rubber bullets as riots began. Protestors tried to force their way into the city’s public safety building, and more vehicles and buildings were set on fire.
Gov. Tony Evers authorized the Wisconsin National Guard to assist local law enforcement in Kenosha on Monday. He does so while defending the first amendment right of protestors gathering.
“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.
“This is a limited mobilization of the National Guard 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,” the governor added.
Once again, a Democratic mayor fully supports the unlawful gathering of mobs. This allows his city to burn rather than enact change.
Police Officers Caught Squarely in the Crosshairs
Police in riot gear fired rubber bullets, tear gas and flash-bang rounds as they skirmished after dark with 300 to 400 demonstrators in downtown Kenosha, Wisconsin https://t.co/F8qlFPHfup pic.twitter.com/OSVri66hWq
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 26, 2020
Amid nationwide calls to defund the police, officers are caught squarely in the crosshairs of public scrutiny. Every time a police officer fires his service weapon while on duty, it is making national headlines. Americans are being conditioned to hate and fear police officers.
The Blaze’s Elijah Schaffer was interviewing a man he called a “Black Lives Matter” rioter. Schaffer called the rioter as such when the man took out his gun and pointed it at Schaffer. This happened all while the camera was rolling. He said that this is what he would do if cops pulled up near him.
Jacob Blake was walking away from officers and directly into his vehicle on Sunday night. What transpired prior to his walking away is a mystery to those who did not witness the incident. The officers were yelling at him to stop. They drew their weapons. Jacob Blake did not stop or look back.
Officers are being prevented from doing their jobs. They also are being forced to fear each person that they stop or investigate. Additionally, hatred of officers and disdain for their civic duty is at an all-time high.
With Democrats vowing to defund police forces across the country while simultaneously raising taxes, where exactly will that money go? Don’t forget that they will also be limiting or eliminating your access to firearms to protect yourself. Would Jacob Blake’s story be different if he had not turned his back on and walked away from officers during a dispute on Sunday night?
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