In the US state of Wisconsin, protests erupted after a man was shot in the back by police while his kids watched from inside a vehicle.
A video filmed in the city of Kenosha on Sunday by a bystander showed police officers following an African American man toward a car.
Just as the man unlocks the car door, an officer is seen grabbing his shirt and shooting him seven times in the back.
Several people could be heard shouting at the scene as the incident unfolds.
The guy, identified as Jacob Blake, 29, was in a serious condition hospitalised.
Protests erupted after the shooting, leading officials to place a curfew on the area.
Crowds gathering at the scene were seen, and police allegedly hurled bricks and Molotov cocktails.
Raysean White, 22, who filmed the shooting video, told NBC News that the incident first caught his attention when he heard from his apartment a group of women quarrelling across the street.
“Then the guy that got shot showed up,” White said.
“He pulled up in his truck, got out his truck, seen him walk up. His son was running towards him. He was picking up his son. He told his son to get in the grey truck, we about to go.”
As our state reels from another attack against a Black man, as communities grieve and exercise their first amendment rights to demand justice, and as Jacob Blake fights for his life— we are reminded that racism is a public health crisis. There is no time to waste.
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) August 24, 2020
Blake’s family has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, according to a statement from Crump’s office.
“Blake was helping to deescalate a domestic incident when police drew their weapons and tasered him,” the statement said.
“As he was walking away to check on his children, police fired their weapons several times into his back at point blank range.
“Blake’s three sons were only a few feet away and witnessed police shoot their father.
“We all watched the horrific video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back several times by Kenosha police.
“Even worse, his three sons witnessed their father collapse after being riddled with bullets.
“Their irresponsible, reckless, and inhumane actions nearly cost the life of a man who was simply trying to do the right thing by intervening in a domestic incident. It’s a miracle he’s still alive.
“We will seek justice for Jacob Blake and for his family as we demand answers from the Kenosha Police Department.”