KENOSHA, Wis. — The father of Jacob Blake says his son was left paralyzed from the waist down after he was shot by a Kenosha police officer Sunday.
Blake’s father told the Chicago Sun-Times that he was told his son was shot eight times during the Sunday evening confrontation with police, which was captured on cellphone video and led to two nights of unrest in the city that's along Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Chicago.
The father, who is also named Jacob Blake, said he was driving from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Kenosha to be with his son.
He said his son has “eight holes” in his body and that doctors don’t know if the paralysis will be permanent.
Protests in Blake's honor happened across the country Monday night, including in Portland, San Diego, New York, Minneapolis, and Denver.
Police declared a riot in Portland after fires were set outside of the offices of the police association. In San Diego, at least three protesters were arrested.
Locally, anger over Blake's shooting spilled into the streets of Kenosha for a second night Monday. Police again fired tear gas at hundreds of protesters who defied a curfew, threw bottles and shot fireworks at law enforcement guarding the courthouse.
Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers activated 125 members of the National Guard to assist local law enforcement Monday. Police fired the tear gas about 30 minutes after an 8 p.m. curfew took effect, but many protesters remained out hours later.
Blake was shot by Kenosha police just after 5 p.m. Sunday. Officers were responding to the area near 40th and 28th for a reported "domestic incident."
Officers did not say what led up to the shooting, but video shot by a neighbor shows Blake walking to an SUV and attempting to enter it moments before an officer grabs him by the shirt and shoots him.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation is now investigating the incident.
A GoFundMe for Blake has raised more than $700,000 in less than 24 hours.
