Jacob Blake: one dead, two wounded by gunshot in the night in Kenosha, according to media reports

One person was shot dead and two wounded Tuesday night, according to media reports, in the American city of Kenosha where clashes occurred during protests in anger over the death of Jacob Blake, an African-American man who was seriously injured by police.

Online videos show people running through the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, as gunshots rang out. Others show injured men on the ground. “Shots hit three people, and one of them died,” said Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth, quoted by the New York Times.

The events occurred as hundreds of people expressed their anger for the third night in a row after the release of a video showing Jacob Blake, who was seriously injured on Sunday by a white Kenosha police officer.

The footage shows the young father, followed by two police officers who drew their weapons as he drove around a car. One officer grabs his white tank top as he opens the door and tries to get into the driver’s seat. The officer then fired the gun – the tape shows seven shots – hitting Jacob Blake with several bullets in the back.

At least a small group of men, mostly white and heavily armed, patrolled the city during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, saying they wanted to ensure the protection of property, noted an AFP journalist. According to the New York Times, police are investigating whether Tuesday night’s shooting “stemmed from a conflict between self-proclaimed militias guarding a gas station and demonstrators.

Clashes between groups of demonstrators and police had erupted earlier, with the former firing fireworks at the latter who returned fire with rubber bullets.

One of the videos, taken by photographer Alex Lourie and whose authenticity has been established by AFP, shows a man sitting on the ground, bleeding profusely from an arm injury, as law enforcement vehicles approached him and asked others present to “back off. Police officers help the injured man back to his feet.

Another video shows a man, who appears to be carrying a rifle, falling to the ground. Several gunshots are heard as people run away. Police presence was low in the city Tuesday night, except around the courthouse.

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