Anger, Protests Erupt After Kenosha Cops Shoot Unarmed Black Man, Jacob Blake, In The Back (Video)

Video After The Jump

A Black man was hospitalized in serious condition after police shot him several times in the back as he opened the door of a parked vehicle in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Graphic video of the shooting emerged on social media late Sunday, sparking angry protests that prompted the city to declare an emergency curfew.

The man was later identified as Jacob Blake, 29, according to Governor Tony Evers, who said Blake was "shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight."

"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.

The shooting, which is now under investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, occurred around 5 p.m. Sunday when officers responded to calls of a domestic incident. Video shows Blake walking away from officers who are pointing their weapons at him. He approaches an SUV, opens the driver's side door when an officer grabs his shirt, and then fires at least seven shots into Blake's back.

Officers provided medical aid to Blake, who was transported to a hospital in Milwaukee in serious condition, the state's Department of Justice said. The officers involved were placed on administrative leave.

Attorney Benjamin Crump, a prominent civil rights lawyer retained by Blake's family, said Blake's three children were inside the SUV when their father was shot by police. "We will seek justice for Jacob Blake and for his family as we demand answers from the Kenosha Police Department," Crump said in a statement.

The shooting sparked outrage in Kenosha, which is located nearly 40 miles south of Milwaukee, as protesters gathered at the scene of the shooting. Several businesses in the area were vandalized and about 50 cars were set on fire at a local car lot, CBS affiliate WDJT reported.

"I know he's got kids and a girl. I never had a problem with him. I always see him every day. [He] parks right behind me on the street," one neighbor said.

The shooting comes amid nationwide outrage over the fatal police shootings of Black Americans. Protests across the country have pushed for policing reform following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.

Source: CBS News