In the wake of a black man being shot in the back by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday, armed rioters shut down streets as the city erupted in chaos.
A group of rioters that included at least two armed people blocked an armored police car. When police started lobbing tear gas canisters from the top of the armored car to repel the crowd, gunshots were heard as one of the protesters appeared to open fire.
This is insane. BLM rioters armed with semi-auto rifles have shut down the street in #Kenosha and ordered a Sheriff’s vehicle to stop. Video by @livesmattershow. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/cDhmOBG1p9
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 24, 2020
Kenosha, Wisconsin explodes
When what sounded like gunshots are heard on the video, the person filming it turned to the direction the shots seemed to come from, only to find an armed rioter with his weapon raised.
Another video showed a car dealership lit ablaze by arsonists.
Up close look at the car dealership fire set by BLM arsonists in Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/Mv1CC7htiD
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 24, 2020
Kenosha, Wisconsin
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) August 24, 2020
A police officer was struck in the head by a brick amid the mayhem.
Video appears to show police officer knocked unconscious after being struck in the head with a brick; Curfew declared in the city of #Kenosha after police shooting
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) August 24, 2020
The incident that triggered the riots
The riots in Kenosha were triggered earlier Sunday when police officers responding to a domestic incident shot a black man seven times in the back as he moved away from them and attempted to get in his vehicle.
This just happend in Kenosha, WI. ?#BlackLivesMatter. pic.twitter.com/QLW7Vxtdzm
— chrizi (@nolimitchrizi) August 23, 2020
The Associated Press reported of the incident, “In the video posted on social media that appeared to show the shooting from across a street, three officers could be seen shouting and pointing their weapons at the man, who appeared to be Black, as he walked around the front of an SUV parked on the street.”
“As the man opened the driver’s side door and leaned inside, one officer grabbed his shirt from behind and then fired into the vehicle,” AP reported. “Seven shots could be heard on the video, though it was unclear if more than one officer fired.”
“It is not clear from the video whether the man was reaching inside the vehicle for a weapon, and no official word has yet come down from the Kenosha Police Department to say if a weapon was found,” AP noted.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers issues statement
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers issued a statement on the shooting.
“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. “We stand with all those who have and continue to demand justice, equity, and accountability for Black lives in our country…
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.
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) August 24, 2020
“And we stand against excessive use of force and immediate escalation when engaging with Black Wisconsinites,” the governor added. “I have said all along that although we must offer our empathy, equally important is our action.”
“In the coming days, we will demand just that of elected officials in our state who have failed to recognize the racism in our state and our country for far too long,” the statement ended.