A Black man, Jacob Blake who was shot in the back by police in Wisconsin has been paralyzed from the waist down, his family members said Tuesday.
"The medical diagnosis right now is that he is paralyzed," Blake's lawyer civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump said, adding, "It is going to take a miracle for Jacob Blake Jr to ever walk again."
"He is currently in surgery as we speak, still struggling to sustain his life and to hopefully become some resemblance of the man he once was," Crump added.
Confirmed: Jacob Blake currently paralyzed from the waist down. Praying it's not permanent. #JusticeForJacobBlake
"My son has been fighting for his life and we really just need prayers," Blake’s mother said.
"They shot my son seven times like he didn't matter," Blake's father said, stating further,""But my son matters. He's a human being."
The shooting has sparked protests in Kenosha and other cities. Police in riot gear deployed tear gas against demonstrators in Kenosha late Monday as several buildings and cars were burning.
Governor Tony Evers on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Wisconsin and authorized the presence of up to 250 members of the state's National Guard.
Source: Agencies
