Man Shot, Wounded By Police In Kenosha, Wisconsin; Crowd Gathers In Protest, Curfew Issued
KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS) -- Fires, looting, and confrontations with police erupted in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after an officer shot a Black man in the back seven times on Sunday, seriously wounding him.
The disturbing incident was caught on cell phone video, sparking a night of unrest in Kenosha, and prompting Kenosha County to issue a curfew requiring people to be off the streets Sunday and Monday nights.
At 5:11 p.m. Sunday, Kenosha police officers were called to the 2800 block of 40th Street in Kenosha for a domestic incident. Afterward, police shot 29-year-old Jacob Blake.
Cell phone video footage shows two officers following him to his car. Blake, who appears to be unarmed, was shot at seven times by police after opening the front door of his car. Blake's children were reportedly inside the vehicle.
Police said officers provided immediate aid to Blake, who was transported by a Flight for Life helicopter to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. He was in serious condition, police said.
Blake's family said he was out of surgery Monday morning, and in the intensive care unit.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice is investigating the shooting, and said all officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.
Protesters and police clashed for hours after the shooting. Witnesses said it was absolute chaos Sunday night.
Officers in riot gear were stationed outside the Kenosha Courthouse overnight, guarding the steps to the building as protesters confronted police, some throwing objects at officers.
They even set the building and several dump trucks on fire.
"They just kept burning everything, and then the dump trucks blew up after about a half hour of them being on fire, and I would say another hour-and-a-half, two hours, police finally pushed them out. I thought it was all over," witness Nicholas Smith said.
Smith said the crowd started moving from the courthouse after clashing with officers. At some point officers had to deploy what may have been tear gas to disperse the crowd of more than 50 people.
The crowd later started moving down Sheridan Road, and stopped at a used car dealership, setting dozens of cars on fire. Cell phone video shows the lot just burning for hours.
The owners showed up Monday morning at a loss for words. Nearly every single car in the lot destroyed.
The crowd also made their way down to 6th Avenue, using bats to smash the front windows of several stores and restaurants.
The owner of A Summer's Garden Florist was left to clean up the mess. Lyna Postuchow said she was home when she saw the video of the shooting.
"I was horrified more than sad. I just don't understand how this could happen. It's terrifying," she said.
The Kenosha Courthouse and the administration building were both closed Monday because of the damage.
WDJT-TV, CBS 58 in Milwaukee, reported a large group gathered at the scene following the shooting. In video posted by CBS 58 reporter Kim Shine, people in the crowd were heard chanting, "No justice no peace!" Some raised their voices and used profanity.
Warning: Profane Language:
"We understand that the cops have a job to do. But we understand that the cops have their job to do with restraint," said witness La-Ron Franklin.
CBS 58 reported that late Sunday evening, protesters "forced out more than a dozen officers guarding the scene."
CBS 58 reported right before that, someone started a fire and an officer was attacked. The station reported a CBS 58 photographer was hit in the leg by a brick that someone threw at an exiting police car.
People at the scene told CBS 58 that Blake is a father.
"I know he's got kids and a girl. I never had a problem with him. I always see him every day. Parks right behind me on the street," Aaron, a neighbor, told the station.
"It goes back to the Emmett Tills. We're tired of it. Rodney King. We're tired of it. And right now, this is the wrong generation that this is happening to. The frustration is boiling to the top and we're sick and tired," Clyde McLemore, Black Lives Matter of Lake County, Illinois, told CBS 58.
Kenosha County Board Supervisor Zach Rodriguez also spoke to CBS 58 after the shooting.
"I'm praying for that family, regardless of the situation," Rodriguez told the station. "What happened here tonight highlights that we need body cameras for not just our sheriff's deputies, but our city police department as well."
Shine reported as of 9:15 p.m., there were a few dozen people protesting and the SUV involved in the shooting had been towed away. She reported some had stomped atop at least one squad car, and some tires had been slashed.
Officers were inside police tape and some were talking with the crowd, Shine reported.
Later Sunday night, marchers appeared to head to protest outside the Kenosha police station, which was mostly blocked off, the AP reported. Protesters faced off with police officers outside the station; the AP reported the officers were wearing plastic facemasks and holding batons with which they sometimes pushed people back.
Late Sunday night, Kenosha County issued a countywide curfew effective from 10:15 p.m. Sunday until 7 a.m. Monday. Another curfew was announced Monday, between 8 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers issued a thread of tweets about the shooting.
"Tonight, Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kathy and I join his family, friends, and neighbors in hoping earnestly that he will not succumb to his injuries," Evers wrote. "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."
