Father Says Jacob Blake Is Paralyzed
He has "eight holes" in his body. "What justified these shots?"
The father of Jacob Blake has told the Chicago Sun Times that his son is paralyzed from the waist down. Doctors don’t know at this point if the injury is permanent.
Jacob Blake was shot in the back by Kenosha Police Sunday, in an incident that has generated press coverage and condemnation from across the nation.
The father, who is also named Jacob Blake, said his son has “eight holes” in his body.
“I want to put my hand on my son’s cheek and kiss him on his forehead, and then I’ll be OK,” his father told the newspaper. “I’ll kiss him with my mask. The first thing I want to do is touch my son.”
“That evening, the father got word that his son had been shot eight times by police officers…Eighteen minutes later, he saw the now-viral video,” the story notes.
“What justified all those shots?’ his father asked. ‘What justified doing that in front of my grandsons? What are we doing?”
“Jacob Blake is a loving father” who “deserves proper medical attention and legal representation,” Blake’s family wrote on a GoFundMe website that has already raised more than $150,000 in donations.
The younger Jacob Blake was a “happy little dude,” his father told the Sun Times, who grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, before moving to Evanston, Illinois in middle school, where he attended Nichols Middle School and Evanston Township High School.
The younger Blake has been living in Kenosha for about three years, has seven brothers and five sisters and family is “definitely” important to him, his father said.
Jacob Blake’s grandfather, Jacob Blake, Sr., was a civil rights activist and minister who was pastor of the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church, the story reported. “In 1968, the Rev. Blake helped to organize a march in support of fair housing after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death, according to the Evanston History Center. Four years later, he led his church in building the Ebenezer Primm Towers, which provide affordable housing for seniors. In 2003, Jacob Blake Manor, which also provides low-income housing for seniors, was named after the minister.”
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Blake’s family, has tweeted this: “
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits, all detailed here.
More about the Shooting of Jacob Blake
- Community Leaders Lament Jacob Blake Decision - PrincessSafiya Byers - Jan 9th, 2021
- Rep. Robyn Vining Responds to Kenosha DA Decision - State Rep. Robyn Vining - Jan 7th, 2021
- Body Cameras Would Have Helped Jacob Blake Shooting Investigation - Corri Hess - Jan 7th, 2021
- Joint Statement on Charging Decision in Jacob Blake Case - Milwaukee Common Council - Jan 6th, 2021
- Barnes Rips Kenosha DA On Blake Shooting - Melanie Conklin - Jan 6th, 2021
- Rep. Stubbs’ Statement on Decision to not Charge Officer Sheskey in Shooting of Jacob Blake - State Rep. Shelia Stubbs - Jan 6th, 2021
- Statement from the Milwaukee Bucks Organization - Milwaukee Bucks - Jan 5th, 2021
- Senator Agard Releases Statement on the Decision to Not Charge Officer Involved in Shooting Jacob Blake - State Sen. Melissa Agard - Jan 5th, 2021
- Rep Hintz: Statement on Jacob Blake Shooting Charging Decision by Kenosha District Attorney - State Rep. Gordon Hintz - Jan 5th, 2021
- Statement from Kenosha County Judicial Candidate Angela Cunningham on Charging Decision of the Jacob Blake Shooting - Angela Cunningham - Jan 5th, 2021
Read more about Shooting of Jacob Blake here
Back in the News
-
Bipartisan Bashing of Ron Johnson
Feb 24th, 2021 by Bruce Murphy
-
The Hoax Master of Wisconsin
Feb 17th, 2021 by Bruce Murphy
-
Uline Faces Blowback on Capitol Riot
Feb 15th, 2021 by Bruce Murphy