After the police shot a 29-year-old Black man, Jacob Blake Jr. in southeastern Kenosha Wisconsin, US, on Sunday, huge protests erupted in the city for the third night in a row leading to two people being killed and another wounded at the demonstration which erupted at around 11:45 pm on Tuesday (04:45 GMT Wednesday), the US Kenosha Police Department reported.
According to a New York Times report, police were investigating whether the shooting “stemmed from a conflict between self-styled militias guarding a gas station and demonstrators”.
A video emerged on social media showing a gun battle among civilians, where an armed man fires at the crowd rushing towards him as one person falls to the ground while several other gunshots are heard in the background.
People in Wisconsin, US, have been defying the dawn-till-dusk curfew for another round of Black Lives Matter protests, leading to clashes that have consisted of the police firing tear gas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, to which the crowds have responded by chanting “Black lives matter”.
In an interview, Blake’s attorney, Ben Crump, stated how Blake, the victim and reason behind the fresh protests, was gunned down with no mercy by the police as more than seven gunshots were fired at him when he was trying to break the quarrel between two women. Attorney Ben also mentioned how Blake was then left fighting for his life by the police.
Three of Blake’s young sons aged 3, 5 and 8 were inside the car and saw how their father was continuously shot by the police, according to attorney Ben.
The US Police have historically been accused of using indiscriminate lethal force against African Americans.
With respect to Blake’s shooting, the police have yet to explain why he was shot.
The disturbances on Wednesday came after Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers declared a state of emergency and vowed to bring more National Guard troops to restore the peace, law, and order.
Officials have blamed ‘outside agitators’ for much of the lawlessness surrounding protests such as three dozen fires being set on Monday night mostly in a predominantly minority neighbourhood.