August 25 Jacob Blake protests news

By Meg Wagner and Mike Hayes, CNN

Updated 4:42 AM ET, Wed August 26, 2020
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3:32 a.m. ET, August 26, 2020

At least one person has been killed in a shooting in Kenosha

One person has died following an overnight shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, according to a report in the New York Times. 

Two other people were also shot.

Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth told the New York Times that shots rang out along a street near a gas station early Wednesday morning.

Beth said the sheriff's office is investigating whether the shooting had resulted from a conflict between demonstrators and a group of men with weapons who were protecting businesses. 

CNN has reached out to Kenosha Police as well as the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office to independently confirm details surrounding the shooting. 

3:26 a.m. ET, August 26, 2020

Tear gas deployed and police warn of "unlawful assembly" on another night of unrest in Kenosha

From CNN's Raja Razek

A protester moves away from a smoke canister late Tuesday.
A protester moves away from a smoke canister late Tuesday. Morry Gash/AP

A third consecutive night of unrest is unfolding in Kenosha, Wisconsin, nearly two hours after the 8 p.m. curfew took effect.

Police were heard on a bullhorn telling a group of protesters at the Kenosha Courthouse that they were taking part in an "unlawful assembly." 

Earlier Tuesday, protesters gathered at the Kenosha County Courthouse and attempted to tear down a fence around the building. 

Dozens of police officers were seen in riot gear coming out of the front door. 

The police fired tear gas into the crowd of protesters. 

A CNN team saw either officers or guardsmen perched on the roof of the courthouse shooting pellets down at rowdy protesters. 

Currently, there are around 50 guardsman stretching the length of the block on their side of the fence. 

9:49 p.m. ET, August 25, 2020

Jacob Blake's attorney says police have not given a reason why they shot him seven times in the back

From CNN's Raja Razek

Attorney Benjamin Crump speaks as family members of Jacob Blake hold a news conference in front of the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 25.
Attorney Benjamin Crump speaks as family members of Jacob Blake hold a news conference in front of the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 25. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Police have not given a reason for why they shot Jacob Blake, Blake's attorney Ben Crump told CNN's Sara Sidner.

"Right now, the police haven't said none of what their reason was for shooting him seven times in the back," Crump said.

Instead, police officers were trying to obtain statements from Blake's family, Crump said.

Crump also asked several questions of the officers involved in Blake's shooting:

"'Well, why don't you tell us what you did to justify using this force? What kind of de-escalation did you use? What kind of training did you follow? What was it that made you shoot at least seven times in his back at point-blank range while his three boys were in the car watching their father get executed?'"
8:14 p.m. ET, August 25, 2020

Kenosha County sheriff calls for peaceful protests

From CNN’s Andy Rose

Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth asked residents to obey the 8 p.m. curfew tonight, following a night of protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake.

Blake was shot multiple times by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He has been paralyzed, his family's attorneys said.

The shooting has spurred protests and unrest in the state, prompting Gov. Tony Evers to declare a state of emergency on Tuesday and the deployment of an additional 125 Wisconsin National Guard troops to Kenosha.

After demonstrators torched cars and set buildings ablaze on Monday night, Blake's mother called for peaceful protests and said her son would not be pleased with "the violence and the destruction."

“If you want to protest peacefully, by all means go out and do it. It’s your right,” Beth said in a written statement on Tuesday. “But don’t be a part of this destructive force that’s burning our community."

Beth wrote that he expects Tuesday to be “another very challenging night,” but noted that there will be an increase in law enforcement presence.

“People are frustrated, I get it. And they’re scared. I certainly get that, too,” Beth said. “Don’t be a part of this destructive force that’s burning our community. That’s not a productive path to justice."

CNN's Nicole Chavez, Eliott C. McLaughlin and Christina Maxouris contributed to this report.

5:20 p.m. ET, August 25, 2020

Federal investigators reviewing police shooting of Jacob Blake

From CNN's Josh Campbell

The US Justice Department and FBI agents in Wisconsin are now reviewing the circumstances surrounding the police shooting of a Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a federal law enforcement source tells CNN. 

Federal investigators are gathering information in order to determine whether a federal civil rights investigation will be launched, the source said. 

Police shot Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, at close range Sunday evening as he tried to enter an SUV. He remains in the hospital in stable condition. 

Some context: The announcement by federal officials of their involvement makes it the third concurrent review into the circumstances surrounding the shooting of Blake. As CNN has previously reported, Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley's office is investigating the shooting, as is the Wisconsin Justice Department's Division of Criminal Investigation.

5:18 p.m. ET, August 25, 2020

Detroit Lions cancel practice in light of Jacob Blake shooting 

From CNN’s Dan Kamal

Detroit Lions safety Duron Harmon addresses the media with his teammates outside the Lions NFL football camp practice facility on August 25 in Allen Park, Michigan.
Detroit Lions safety Duron Harmon addresses the media with his teammates outside the Lions NFL football camp practice facility on August 25 in Allen Park, Michigan. Carlos Osorio/AP

After a team meeting that lasted hours and was centered around the Sunday shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer, the Detroit Lions canceled practice Tuesday.

Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford praised head coach Matt Patricia and the coaching staff for opening the floor during the team meeting and said the conversations among players continued in the Lions locker room after a 45-minute break. Ultimately, the team decided to cancel practice.

“Football is the last thing on our mind, to be honest with you,” Stafford told reporters. “The biggest thing for us is how do we get our voices heard. You know, we have a lot of guys in this locker room with a lot to say and... it was great to give them that platform and let those guys talk. It was really cool to be a part of, a team thing that was so unified. We’re all just trying to figure out a way to make a change and help out. The last thing we thought about was playing football.”

“It’s just important for people to understand that, yes, we’re football players; we’re at camp, we’re in the bubble. But, we have brothers, we have sons, we have fathers, we have cousins, nephews that... they’re not in camp. They’re not in a bubble. They really have to go and deal with real world situations," Lions Defensive End Trey Flowers said.

5:07 p.m. ET, August 25, 2020

Jacob Blake's father: "They shot my son seven times like he didn't matter, but my son matters"

From CNN’s Raja Razek

Jacob Blake Sr. speaks during a press conference in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 25.
Jacob Blake Sr. speaks during a press conference in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 25. CNN

Jacob Blake's father described his anguish over the shooting at a news conference Tuesday.

"They shot my son seven times like he didn't matter, but my son matters," Jacob Blake Sr. said.

"He is a human being, and he matters," he added. "I would like to thank everyone for coming out to support my son with this senseless attempted murder that was committed on him."

5:04 p.m. ET, August 25, 2020

Blake family attorney calls for officer who shot Jacob Blake to be arrested

Blake Family Attorney Ben Crump, second from left, speaks during a press conference in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 25.
Blake Family Attorney Ben Crump, second from left, speaks during a press conference in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 25. CNN

Blake Family Attorney Ben Crump called for prosecutors to arrest the officer who shot Jacob Blake.

"We are demanding that the prosecutor arrest the officer who shot Jacob Blake, and we also are asking that these officers who violated the policies and their training be terminated immediately," Crump said at a news conference Tuesday.

When asked why police violence keeps happening, Crump said it is because of "deliberate indifference."

"People question why we have to say 'Black Lives Matter' –– this is why. Because Julia and Jacob Sr.'s son was not treated with the humanity that we often give our white brothers and sisters. And it has to stop, and it has to stop at the highest levels of our government," he said.

He called for police, prosecutors and judges to take action to stop incidents like this from happening. He pointed to other examples such as the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, adding, "we cannot turn a blind eye to the deliberate indifference."