Jacob Blake Speaks Out From Hospital Bed

In a video posted online on September 7th, Jacob Blake spoke from his hospital bed after being shot seven times in the back by Kenosha police. In the video, Blake describes his current condition as “Nothing but pain.” Blake then goes on to describe how it hurts to do simple things such as eat and turn from side to side. Though he survived, Blake has been left paralyzed and it is unclear if he will ever be able to walk again. Despite this, he has remained optimistic that things will change for the better.

The emotional video was posted on Twitter by Benjamin Crump, Blake’s rights attorney.

The shooting occurred on August 23rd in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after police were initially dispatched in response to a domestic incident. According to police radio transmissions, the shots were fired only 3 minutes after officers had arrived on the scene. A video taken of the incident shows an officer firing shots into Blake’s back at close range while he was trying to enter an SUV. Blake’s three sons, ages 8, 5, and 3, were in the SUV at the time.

Authorities have since singled out Officer Rusten Sheskey as the sole shooter on the scene. Currently, Sheskey has been placed under administrative leave pending an investigation along with two other officers that were on the scene at the time. However, there are no charges against any of the officers present at the time. Authorities have also noted that Blake had been tased before shots were fired.

The shooting took place while many still felt the aftermath of the death of George Floyd. As news of the shooting spread, protesters began to rally against the brutality that had been shown towards Blake the same day. During this, both private and state property was burned.

During these protests, one shooting led to another as 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse fatally shot two protesters and wounded a third. Rittenhouse claimed to be part of a “militia” that had been patrolling businesses around the area. Following the shooting, Rittenhouse was arrested at his home in Antioch, Illinois the following day. Rittenhouse has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree reckless homicide.

Outside of protests in the streets, others have taken up the cause online to show their support for Blake and victims that have come before him. Along with this, athletes have boycotted playing in response to the shooting. Players from the NBA, NBA, and NHL among others united and boycotted their respective sports. More about the NBA’s response to the shooting can be read here.

Now that Jacob Blake has broken the silence, the protests may continue for some time. As a survivor, protesters now have a voice to rally behind as they hope change will happen for the better.