Biden calls for ‘immediate’ investigation into Wisconsin police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake

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Kenosha, Wisconsin protests turn violent after police shoot Black man several times

Disturbing incident caught on camera; Mike Tobin reports.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is urging “an immediate” investigation into Sunday’s police-involved shooting of a Black man in Kenosha, Wis., sparking citywide protests.

“Yesterday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back as police attempted to restrain him from getting into his car," the former vice president said in a statement on Monday. “His children watched from inside the car and bystanders watched in disbelief. And this morning, the nation wakes up yet again with grief and outrage that yet another Black American is a victim of excessive force.”

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Biden then called for “an immediate, full and transparent investigation and the officers must be held accountable.”

The Democratic nominee emphasized that “these shots pierce the soul of our nation. Jill and I pray for Jacob’s recovery and for his children.”

The 29-year-old Blake is hospitalized in serious condition.

“Jacob Blake should not be fighting for his life right now,” Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris of California tweeted on Monday.

Harris, the first Black and South Asian woman to serve as a running mate on a major party’s national ticket, stressed: “As ⁦‪@JoeBiden⁩ said, there must be an immediate investigation and the officers involved should be held accountable.”

The three police officers at the scene have been placed on administrative leave, a standard practice in police-involved shootings, while Wisconsin’s Justice Department investigates.

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The shooting was captured from across the street on cellphone video that was posted online. In the footage, Blake walks from the sidewalk around the front of his SUV to his driver-side door as officers follow him with their guns pointed and shouting at him. As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV, an officer grabs his shirt from behind and opens fire while Blake has his back turned.

Seven shots can be heard, though it isn’t clear how many struck Blake or how many of the officers fired.

A man confronts police outside the Kenosha Police Department in Kenosha, Wis., during protests following the police shooting of Black man Jacob Blake August 23, 2020. (Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY via REUTERS) 

Online court records indicate Kenosha County prosecutors had charged Blake on July 6 with third-degree sexual assault, trespassing and disorderly conduct in connection with domestic abuse. An arrest warrant was issued for Blake the following day.

Protests erupted in Kenosha on Sunday night soon after the video went viral.

Biden has called for a reckoning on racial injustice numerous times since the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota.

“Equal justice has not been real for Black Americans and so many others. We are at an inflection point. We must dismantle systemic racism. It is the urgent task before us. We must fight to honor the ideals laid in the original American promise, which we are yet to attain: That all men and women are created equal, but more importantly that they must be treated equally,” the former vice president highlighted in his statement.

President Trump and the White House have yet to release a statement regarding the shooting. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters Monday morning that the president was expected to be fully briefed on the shooting.

Fox News’ Stephanie Pagones, Kellianne Jones and Rose Astorina contributed to this report.