Petition to charge Kenosha cops who shot Black man gains over 66K signatures as #JusticeForJacob trends
After the country was rocked by protests over racial discrimination and police brutality, an incident of a police officer allegedly shooting a Black man has once again shaken the nation. On August 23, Kenosha police reportedly shot a Black man at close range identified as Jacob Blake. He was shot in the back while trying to get into a car, a video of which went viral on the Internet.
To anybody that’s gonna attempt to absolve the police from shooting Jacob Blake 8 times, just watch this video. #Kenosha pic.twitter.com/xZ6i7FGQN4
— Kip Smithers 🏁 (@Chughes612) August 24, 2020
After the incident, the Kenosha Police Department tweeted on August 24 stating from its media release that police officers were sent to the 2800 block of 40th Street at 5.11 pm where the shooting occurred. It mentioned that officers provided immediate aid to the shooting victim and he was taken by Flight for Life to Froedtert in Milwaukee where the person is in serious condition.
"Kenosha Sheriff’s Department and Wisconsin State Patrol were requested immediately so that the scene could be turned over to an agency, other than Kenosha police." It also mentioned that the case will be investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).
But since the outcry against racial prejudices is already loud right now, mere words from police officials might not be enough which is why petitions seeking justice are doing the rounds on the web. One such petition was filed by a person named Brooke Thompson, which has garnered over 66,000 signatures when this article was last updated.
The petitioner demanded justice and said that he is thankful that Jacob, who was shot, is still alive. However, the petitioner wanted the cops who shot him to be charged with at least "attempted murder". The petition read, "Jacob Blake needs our help fighting for justice. Please sign this petition and share it with friends and family to help him and his family."
According to a study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics from 2002 to 2011, Blacks were more subjected to excessive force from police. The study stated,
Of those who experienced the use of non-fatal force by police, a greater percentage of non-Hispanic Blacks (2.8 percent) than non-Hispanic Whites (1.0 percent) and Hispanics (1.4 percent) perceived the force as excessive."
It further mentioned Blacks (3.5 percent) were more likely than Whites (1.4 percent) and Hispanics (2.1 percent) to experience police non-fatal use of force. Many other reports have also mentioned how police brutality is excessive towards Black victims than Whites. A 2014 study in PLOS One found "significant bias in the killing of unarmed black Americans relative to unarmed white Americans" by the police.
After the death of George Floyd revived the Black Lives Matter Movement, media portals have been shedding light on Black victims of police brutality. A BBC report also stated a timeline of Black deaths caused by police from 2014 until 2020 mentioning victims like Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Alton Sterling, Stephon Clark along with George Floyd and citing the reasons behind their deaths.