Angry Mob Hurls Abuse At Wisconsin Police after Video Depicts Police Brutality On Sunday

An angry mob of protestors took to the streets in Kenosha later on Sunday, in retaliation to what seemed like an episode of police brutality after video footage of Wisconsin cops shooting a Black man went viral on social media, who was later identified as Jacob Blake.

The video that drew nationwide ire shows officers fire seven shots at a man’s back as he leaned into a vehicle. While the Kenosha police are yet to divulge details about the “domestic incident,” they informed the public about a person who was admitted after battling a critical condition in hospital at 5 pm on Sunday.

Soon after the video surfaced, a bevy of social media posts did the rounds – showing neighbors crowding at the surrounding areas, and hurling abuses at the police. The slogan “No Justice. No Peace” reverberated across the streets. The vibe of the protests mirrored the volatile protests that ensued soon after the deaths of Black individuals like George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor and several others did the rounds.

The video footage sparked public aggression against the Kenosha cops and witnessed small-scale instances vandalization of police property. A man was spotted crashing the window of a patrol car parked along the street.

Tony Evers, the governor of Wisconsin, sided with the protestors and released a statement, condemning the shooting of a man 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,” said Evers.

“We stand with all those who have and continue to demand justice, equity, and accountability for black lives in our country. And we stand against excessive use of force and immediate escalation when engaging with black Wisconsinites. 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.”

As things began to spiral out of control owing to public outrage, Kenosha County declared a state of emergency until 7 am on Monday.

While the Kenosha police department redirected calls by a media house to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the DoJ did not immediately revert.