The shooting of Jacob Blake, and its aftermath

On August 23, 2020 Jacob S. Blake, a 29-year-old American black man, was shot seven from behind as he tried to enter his SUV, where his children were in the backseat.

The police were responding to a 9-1-1 call in which the dispatcher "reported that a complainant said Blake wasn't supposed to be there, and that he had taken the complainant's keys and refused to give them back"

According to a witness, Blake had pulled his car up near "six or seven women shouting at each other on the sidewalk" and "Blake did not say anything to the women".

Blake's attorney, Benjamin Crump said Blake "was attempting to de-escalate a fight between two other people when officers arrived at the scene", and that Blake tried to enter his vehicle to check on his three sons inside.

Officers attempted to subdue Blake, and tased him. A bystander who recorded a video of the incident heard police yelling "drop the knife", and also said, "I didn't see any weapons in his hands, he wasn't being violent".

Other reports said Blake was unarmed. After an initial scuffle, Blake got away and walked to the driver side of his vehicle followed by two officers with guns drawn.

The closest officer tried to grab Blake, and when Blake opened the door and leaned in, that officer grabbed him and fired at least seven shots into Blake's back.

Crump said Blake was hit by four of the seven bullets.

Blake was flown to Froedtert Hospital. His father announced on August 25 that Blake was paralyzed from the waist down and that doctors do not know if the injury will be permanent.

Protests soon followed, that resulted the Kenosha County government declaring a state of emergency overnight on August 24.

The Kenosha Riots Protests

Day 1: August 23

10:15pm: A state of emergency was declared for the county, and garbage trucks were used to block 56th street.

11:05pm: police began using tear gas and rubber bullets in an attempt to disperse crowds.

2:30am: A truck in a car dealership along sheridan road was lit on fire, the fire spread to most of the 100 other cars in the lot, businesses in the western portion of downtown suffered from arson and looting, the post office, Reuther High school, The Kenosha County Administration Building, and the Dinosaur Discovery Museum all sustained damage to their front windows and entrance foyers.

Day 2: August 24

Peaceful demonstrations were held during the day.

Wisconsin governor Tony Evers activated the Wisconsin National Guard to protect fire fighters and critical infrastructure in Kenosha. The ACLU of Wisconsin strongly opposed the move.

The county announced a curfew that went into effect 8:00pm on August 24.

Metra commuter rail suspended service north of Waukegan station the same night.

The Kenosha County exits for Interstate 41/94 were also closed off.

Protesters broke a door off its hinges in an effort to forcefully enter the Public Safety Building before being turned back by pepper spray.

Teargas was deployed for a second night starting around 8:30pm in an attempt to disperse unlawful crowds gathered near the courthouse, as rioters launched fireworks at police.

Several streetlights were pulled down and by 1:00am several businesses downtown were on fire.

A Wisconsin Department of Corrections community parole facility and the city's Danish Brotherhood Lodge were among prominent buildings targeted by arsonists.

Other buildings set ablaze also contained residential apartments and several homes were also burned.

Fire crews worked into the morning of August 25.

Day 3: August 25

The Kenosha County Board sent a letter to Gov. Evers requesting the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guardsmen.

Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth asserted that most of the damage was from individuals with no intent to protest and who were not from Kenosha County.

Governor Tony Evers declared a state-ordered state of emergency for the region, sending 250 troops in the Wisconsin National Guard to the city.

Law enforcement erected a tall fence to protect the courthouse. Protesters attempted to breach the fence line throughout the night but all attempts failed.

Significant numbers of armed civilians, described in some reports as vigilantes, were also on the streets.

Local law enforcement raised concerns about white militia.

Two people were killed and one person was injured in a shooting the night of August 25.

Video showed a young white man initially shooting another man who pursued him into a car parking lot and threw something at him.

the 17-year-old shooter giving hand signals to police

The shooter is later captured on video as he continued to be pursued down the street by several men before tripping. He is then seen opening fire on those pursuing him. The man subsequently walked past police with a semi-automatic rifle, with members of the public shouting for him to be arrested, but the police took no action.

Day 4: August 26

The Kenosha County Board sent a second letter to Gov. Evers requesting the deployment of an additional 1,500 National Guardsmen. “Our county is under attack,” the board wrote in the letter. “Our businesses are under attack. Our homes are under attack. Our local law enforcement agencies need additional support to help bring civility back to our community.”

Kyle Rittenhouse, a white 17-year-old Blue Lives Matter supporter, was arrested in Illinois and faces charges of first-degree intentional homicide in the shootings on August 25, according to Lake County, Illinois Clerk of Courts public records.

He was labeled a “fugitive from justice” in the complaint, which states he “fled the state of Wisconsin with intent to avoid prosecution for that offense.” He has been assigned a public defender and was scheduled to appear at an extradition hearing on August 28.

Rittenhouse would be charged as an adult.

Kyle Rittenhouse, Alleged Kenosha Shooter

As mentioned on Day 3: Kenosha police said officers responded to shots fired at around 11:45pm August 25.

Police did not release the names of the victims, but said a 26-year-old man from Silver Lake and a 36-year-old man from Kenosha had been killed.

Another 26-year-old man who was shot was transported to a hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old man, was arrested in connection with the shootings on Wednesday morning in Antioch, Illinois, which is about 20 miles from Kenosha.

It appears that Kyle Rittenhouse considered himself a militia member trying to protect life and property, according to videos, interviews and social media posts.

Rittenhouse was seen running through a crowd of people in a street. One person appears to yell "That guy shot someone." He trips and falls, and, as several people move close to him, he's seen opening fire.

Kyle did speak to the media however before the shooting took place, he said the following:

“So people are getting injured, and our job is to protect this business, and apart of my job is to also help people,” 17-year-old Rittenhouse also added,

“If there’s somebody hurt, I’m running into harm’s way. That’s why I have my rifle because I need to protect myself, obviously. But I also have my med kit.”

Kyle Howard Rittenhouse’s social media presence is filled with him posing with weapons, posting “Blue Lives Matter,”

and supporting Trump for president. Footage from the Des Moines, Iowa rally on January 30 show Rittenhouse feet away from the president, in the front row, to the left of the podium.

He idolizes the police as it could be seen from his social media.

“What I can’t tell you is what led to that disturbance, what led to use of deadly force,” Kenosha police chief Daniel Miskinis said in a press conference.

After police's arrival, he was recorded running off while appearing to tell someone he’s on the phone with: “I just killed somebody.” A group of men then administer first aid to the victim, who appears to have been shot in the head.

Trump Will Send Federal Agents, National Guard to Kenosha

Donald Trump will send an unknown number of federal agents and National Guardsmen to Kenosha, to quell the growing violence in that city.

In addition, Kenosha's County Sheriff, David Beth said there is "no way" he would bring in armed citizens to help control the city's unrest, he he was asked.

"I'm like, oh, hell no," Beth said when he got the call asking him to consider the idea.

"I don't know this for sure, but the incident that happened last night where two people lost their lives, I think they were part of this group that wanted me to deputize them," Beth said.

"Once I deputize somebody, they fall under the constitution of the state of Wisconsin," Beth said. "They fall under the county of Kenosha, they fall under my guidance."

"They have to follow my policies. They have to follow my supervisors. They are a liability to me and the county and the state of Wisconsin."

Other reactions to the shooting of Jacob Blake

In the NBA bubble, the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted their August 26 first-round playoff game against the Orlando Magic in protest of the shooting.

The team decided not to come out of their locker room as the Magic were on the court warming up minutes before the scheduled start to the game.

The Toronto Raptors have also discussed a boycott of their second round playoff series with the Boston Celtics in frustration with a lack of social or legislative change after George Floyd's death and as a result of Blake's shooting.