Kenosha Updates: President Opts to Not Postpone Visit, 175 Arrests Made During Protests

Note: Press conferences and live video will be available in the player above as they occur.

President Donald Trump is planning to visit Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday after more than a week of unrest following the police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake - though the state's governor has sent him a letter asking him to reconsider that visit, saying he's concerned Trump's presence will "hinder" Wisconsin's healing.

That letter was sent as Kenosha police announced at least 175 people were arrested in days of protests that have continued since an officer shot Blake in the back seven times.

Here are the latest updates on the situation unfolding in Kenosha:

President Trump Rejects Gov. Evers' Request to Consider Canceling Kenosha Trip

Rebuffing objections from Gov. Tony Evers, President Donald Trump still plans to travel to Kenosha, Wisconsin Tuesday in the midst of turmoil after the police shooting of Jacob Blake earlier this month.

The president, who has been an outspoken critic of the handling of similar unrest in Portland, conceded that he was aware that Evers “did not want us there,” but said that he hoped his presence would help to inspire residents.

“It could also increase enthusiasm,” Trump said. “It could increase love and respect for our country. That’s why I am going.

Why President Trump Won't Meet With Jacob Blake's Family During Kenosha Visit

Despite visiting Kenosha on Tuesday, President Trump doesn't plan to meet with the family of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot seven times in the back by a police officer.

Protesters have marched in Kenosha every night since Blake’s shooting on Aug. 23, with some protests devolving into unrest that damaged buildings and vehicles. Blake, 29, was paralyzed as a result of the shooting, according to family members.

When asked why he won't meet with the Blake family, President Trump told reporters he decided not to take part, because the family wanted lawyers present.

President Trump to Hold Press Conference Day Before Planned Kenosha Visit

President Donald Trump is expected to hold a press conference from the White House Monday, on the eve of his planned visit to Kenosha. The mayor had asked the president to reschedule as the Wisconsin city continues to deal with unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Watch live in the player above.

Kenosha Curfew to Remain in Effect Through Labor Day, Officials Say

Officials in Kenosha announced that the city’s curfew will remain in effect through at least Labor Day amid continuing unrest after the police shooting of Jacob Blake earlier this month.

According to officials, the curfew will go into effect at 7 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, and will go into effect at 9 p.m. beginning on Wednesday and running through Labor Day.

Public transit will only run until 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, then will run until 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, according to a message from Kenosha Area Transit. Buses will run until 4 p.m. Saturday, then will be inactive Sunday and on Monday, as service doesn’t run on Sundays or federal holidays.

The news comes as protests and unrest continue in the city after Blake’s shooting. While things have remained largely peaceful in recent days, last week saw a fatal shooting in the city, along with property damage and fires, according to officials.

Kenosha County Sheriff Says He Has Now Seen Jacob Blake Shooting Video

Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth has now seen the video showing city officers shooting Jacob Blake, one week after the shooting took place sparking days of unrest in Wisconsin, he said Monday.

Beth, whose department was not involved in the shooting but whose officers have been dealing with the unrest that followed, said on Friday he had not seen the footage. Video later surfaced over the weekend appearing to show him watching the video at a protest prior to those comments, however.

"Someone actually sent me a little snippet of me. Someone on that last Sunday night a week ago, handed me the phone and I remembered that situation, but if you saw that video of me holding the phone, you didn't look at what was around me," Beth said. "You did not look at the rocks being thrown at me, the Molotov cocktail that was landing near my feet. I wasn't looking at the phone. I was looking at the people that were very animated around me."

Still, Beth said he did watch the video over the weekend and his response remains the same.

"This weekend I did look at the video, I still don't have a comment on it. You're asking me to make a comment about something that my department isn't doing the investigation on," Beth said. "And I found out that there's a lot of things that are coming out that aren't quite accurate, but I'm letting other people sort through that I'm doing the job I have to do and that's to help keep your people here safe."

More Than Half of People Arrested at Kenosha Protests Were From Out of Town: Police

A majority of the people arrested at demonstrations in Kenosha following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer have addresses outside the city, according to law enforcement.

Of the more than 200 people arrested, more than half came from elsewhere, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said at a news conference Monday.

"There have been few arrests..." Sheriff Beth said. "...Protests have been peaceful, and we're very, very thankful for that."

In a news release late Sunday, the Kenosha Police Department said 175 people were arrested at protests during the past week, and about 58%, 102 people, traveled from 44 other cities.

Watch Live: Kenosha Officials to Deliver 1 p.m. Update

Kenosha officials are expected to speak at a press conference at 1 p.m. CST.

Watch it live in the player above.

Wisconsin Gov. Evers Asks President Trump to Reconsider Visit

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Sunday, asking the president to reconsider his planned visit to Kenosha on Tuesday.

Trump's visit comes a week after Jacob Blake, a Black man, was shot seven times by a police officer in the city – an incident that sparked outrage nationwide.

Protesters have marched in Kenosha every night since Blake's shooting, with some protests devolving into unrest with damage to buildings and vehicles. On Tuesday, authorities say 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse of suburban Antioch shot and killed two people.

On Saturday night, White House spokesman Judd Deere confirmed the president will visit the city to meet with law enforcement and survey damage, but it remains unclear if he will meet with Blake's family.

In his letter, Evers said he's concerned about what Trump's presence will mean for Kenosha and the state of Wisconsin.

"I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing," the governor wrote. "I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together."

The governor also stated that the president's visit would require a massive redirection of resources that are supporting recovery efforts in the city.

"It is our job as elected officials to lead by example and to be a calming presence for the people we know are hurting, mourning, and trying to cope with trauma," he said. "Now is not the time for divisiveness. Now is not the time for elected officials to ignore armed militants and out-of-state instigators who want to contribute to our anguish."

Neither Trump nor the White House had responded to the governor's letter as of Sunday evening.

Trump has been running his reelection campaign on a law-and-order mantle, denouncing protesters as "thugs" while voicing his support for police.

In his acceptance speech during the Republican National Convention, Trump painted the election in hyperbolic terms as a stark choice between peaceful streets and anarchy.

And, the day after a man was shot and killed in confrontations between Black Lives Matter protesters and Trump supporters in Portland, he assailed only the anti-racism demonstrators, NBC News reports.

In a tweet, Trump shared a video of the pro-Trump caravan driving into Portland and labeled its members "GREAT PATRIOTS!" In another tweet, he referred to protesters in Washington, D.C., as "Disgraceful Anarchists" and said, "We are watching them closely."

"The big backlash going on in Portland cannot be unexpected after 95 days of watching and incompetent Mayor admit that he has no idea what he is doing," Trump said in one tweet. "The people of Portland won't put up with no safety any longer. The Mayor is a FOOL. Bring in the National Guard!"

Trump's opponent for reelection, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his running mate, Kamala Harris, have accused Trump of rooting for violence amid unrest in Wisconsin.

"He views this as a political benefit," Biden said in an interview on MSNBC. "He’s rooting for more violence, not less. And it’s clear about that."

Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey and two other officers were responding to a domestic dispute call last Sunday when Sheskey shot Blake in the back seven times. Cellphone video captured the shooting, which has sparked new protests against racial injustice and police brutality months after George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis officer touched off a wider reckoning on race.

A Total of 175 Arrests Made During Kenosha Protests, Police Say

At least 175 people have been arrested during protests in Kenosha since the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer on Sunday, Aug. 23, according to numbers supplied by law enforcement.

Protesters have marched in Kenosha every night since Blake’s shooting, with some protests devolving into unrest that damaged buildings and vehicles. Authorities say a teenager from northern Illinois shot and killed two protesters in Kenosha on Tuesday night.

According to the Kenosha Police Department, of the 175 people arrested, 102 listed addresses from outside the city. A total of 69 people were arrested for curfew violations.

Thirty-four people were arrested for curfew violations as well as additional charges ranging from carrying concealed weapons, burglary and possession of controlled substances.

Additionally, more than 20 guns, were seized police said.

A 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. state of emergency curfew that was set to expire Sunday has been extended through 7 a.m. Wednesday, the Kenosha County sheriff’s office said.

Rally Supporting Police Held in Downtown Kenosha

Police supporters gathered Sunday in downtown Kenosha where protesters have been demonstrating against police brutality since the shooting of Jacob Blake last weekend.

Some attending the rally in the Wisconsin city wore “back the blue” shirts. Others carried American flags. They applauded when law enforcement vehicles rolled by.

“With the things that they face on a daily basis, they need that little extra push of love and to show that they are needed,” said Jennifer Peyton, 44, who attended the rally. “I mean, if you went in to work every day, and you were told that you were bad or had things thrown at you, I think it would weigh on your psyche a little bit, too.”

A Kenosha police officer shot Blake in the back Aug. 23, leaving the 29-year-old Black man paralyzed.

Some people at Sunday’s rally signed petitions urging the recall of Gov. Tony Evers and Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, both Democrats, and added messages of support on handwritten posters thanking police as heroes.

About 1,000 people attended a rally to protest police violence Saturday.

The city’s mayor, John Antaramian, said Sunday that he will ask the state for $30 million to rebuild parts of Kenosha destroyed or damaged by the violence, according to the Kenosha News.

‘7 Bullets, 7 Days': Protesters March for Blake in Kenosha

With chants of “One person, one vote!" and "No justice, no peace!” a crowd of about 1,000 demonstrators gathered outside a Wisconsin courthouse Saturday to denounce police violence and share messages of change, a week after an officer shot Jacob Blake in the back and left the 29-year-old Black man paralyzed.

The diverse group of protesters also chanted “Seven bullets, seven days!” — a reference to the number of times Blake was shot last Sunday — as they marched toward the courthouse in Kenosha. There, Blake's father, Jacob Blake Sr., gave an impassioned call for changing a system he described as fostering police brutality and racial inequities.

“There were seven bullets put in my son’s back. ... Hell yeah, I’m mad," said Blake Sr. He said he wants to ask the police “what gave them the right to attempted murder on my child? What gave them the right to think that my son was an animal? What gave them the right to take something that was not theirs? I’m tired of this.”

Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey and two other officers were responding to a domestic dispute call last Sunday when Sheskey shot Blake in the back. Blake Sr. told reporters on Saturday that his son is heavily sedated, but he has regained consciousness.

“He’s in a lot of pain,” he said. “I just wish I could pick my baby up and make it all right.” He called for Sheskey to be charged and for the other two officers at the scene to be fired.

Several of Saturday's speakers encouraged the crowd to vote for change in November, and to push for changing legislation in Wisconsin that would lead to police reform.

“Justice is a bare minimum,” Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes said. “Justice should be guaranteed to everybody in this country.”

Blake Sr. asked those at the rally to raise their fists with him. “We are not going to stop going in the right direction. We’re going to the top ... we’re gonna make legislation happen because that’s the only thing that they recognize,” he said.

Blake Sr. also referred to the May 25 death of George Floyd, a handcuffed Black man who died after a Minneapolis officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck. Said Blake Sr., “We all have a knee on the back of our necks, every day.”

One of Blake’s sisters, Letetra Widman, said she felt recharged “to stand up not just for Jacob, but for all the people who have not gotten justice.”

Captured on cellphone video, the shooting sparked new protests against racial injustice and police brutality months after Floyd's death touched off a wider reckoning on race.

Protesters have marched in Kenosha every night since Blake's shooting, with some protests devolving into unrest with damage to buildings and vehicles. On Tuesday, two people were killed by an armed civilian. The commander of the National Guard said Friday that more than 1,000 Guard members had been deployed to help keep the peace, with more on the way.

Most people dispersed from the protest on Saturday before a 7 p.m. curfew. More than an hour after curfew, law enforcement officers, including some wearing U.S. Marshals Service identification, surrounded about a dozen people gathered outside of the Kenosha County Courthouse and made several arrests.

Aniyah Ervin, a 16-year-old from Kenosha who is Black, said Saturday that the week has been surreal. Although she protested against racial injustice over the summer, she said there had been a feeling that police brutality was not a problem in Kenosha. But, she said, Blake's shooting “shows it can happen anywhere.”

Will Turner, who is Black, said he brought his two children from Madison for the march to “show them the power of peaceful protesting."

President Trump to Visit Kenosha Tuesday

President Trump will travel to Kenosha Tuesday, more than one week after Jacob Blake was shot seven times by a police officer in an incident that sparked outrage nationwide.

The president, who was touring hurricane damage Saturday in Texas when reporters asked whether he would visit Kenosha, responded “probably so” but offered no details.

Later in the evening, White House spokesman Judd Deere confirmed the president will visit the city to meet with law enforcement and survey damage.

Protesters have marched in Kenosha every night since Blake's shooting, with some protests devolving into unrest with damage to buildings and vehicles. On Tuesday, two people were allegedly killed by an armed civilian, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse of suburban Antioch.

When asked to weigh in on the shootings in which Rittenhouse was charged, Trump demurred and said “it’s under investigation” and that “we are looking at it very, very carefully.”

Zuckerberg Says Facebook Erred in Not Removing Kenosha Militia Group's Post

Facebook made a mistake in not removing a militia group’s page earlier this week that called for armed civilians to enter Kenosha, Wisconsin, amid violent protests after police shot Jacob Blake, CEO Mark Zuckerberg says.

The page for the “Kenosha Guard” violated Facebook’s policies and had been flagged by “a bunch of people,” Zuckerberg said in a video posted Friday on Facebook. The social media giant has in recent weeks adopted new guidelines removing or restricting posts from groups that pose a threat to public safety.

Facebook took down the page Wednesday, after an armed civilian allegedly killed two people and wounded a third Tuesday night amid protests in Kenosha that followed the shooting of Blake, who is Black.

“It was largely an operational mistake,” Zuckerberg said. “The contractors, the reviewers, who the initial complaints were funneled to, didn’t, basically didn’t pick this up.”

Zuckerberg did not apologize for the error and said that so far, Facebook hasn’t found any evidence that Rittenhouse was aware of the Kenosha Guard page or the invitation it posted for armed militia members to go to Kenosha.

Facebook is now taking down posts that praise the shooting or shooter, Zuckerberg said. Yet a report Thursday by The Guardian newspaper found examples of support and even fundraising messages still being shared on Facebook and its photo-sharing service, Instagram.

Zuckerberg also contrasted the treatment of Blake, who was shot in the back by Kenosha police, and the white 17-year-old now charged in Tuesday’s slayings, Kyle Rittenhouse, who carried an AR-15-style rifle near police without being challenged. Zuckerberg also acknowledged the civil rights demonstration Friday in Washington, D.C.

“There’s just a sense that things really aren’t improving at the pace that they should be, and I think that’s really painful, really discouraging,” Zuckerberg said.

Zuckerberg also said the company is working on improving its execution, though he did not provide details. He acknowledged that the approaching presidential election would present greater challenges around polarizing content.

“There is a real risk and a continued increased risk through the election during this very sensitive and polarized and highly charged time,” he said.

Attorney: Jacob Blake No Longer Handcuffed to Hospital Bed

Jacob Blake is no longer shackled to his hospital bed, as he had been following a police shooting in southeastern Wisconsin that left him paralyzed, his attorneys said Friday.

Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey shot Blake, a Black man, seven times in the back on Sunday while responding to a domestic abuse call. Protesters have filled Kenosha’s streets every night since the shooting in a demonstration against police racism and brutality.

Blake’s father told the Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday that he was upset to learn his son was handcuffed to his hospital bed in Milwaukee since he’s paralyzed and can’t go anywhere.

Blake was wanted on suspicion of felony sexual assault when he was shot. The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that all hospitalized patients in police custody are restrained unless undergoing medical procedures. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers responded “hell, yes,” when asked during a news conference whether he was concerned about Blake being handcuffed. The governor said Blake had already paid a “horrific price.”

Blake’s attorney in the sexual assault case said Friday that Blake was no longer in restraints. He said the arrest warrant in the sexual assault case has been vacated, although charges remain. The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that Blake was no longer in custody because he has posted bond and deputies are no longer guarding him at the hospital.

“Fortunately, a man who is paralyzed and fighting for his life after being shot seven times in the back, will no longer have to deal with the pain of having his ankles and wrist shackled and the traumatic stress of being under armed guard,” Blake’s attorneys in the shooting case, Ben Crump, Patrick Salvi and B’Ivory Lamarr said in a statement.

Attorney Says Kyle Rittenhouse Defended Himself, ‘Did Nothing Wrong'

The attorneys representing Kyle Rittenhouse, the Antioch 17-year-old charged with the shooting deaths of two protesters in Kenosha, released a statement Friday night, saying the teen "did nothing wrong" and acted in self-defense.

Earlier in the day, a judge agreed to delay for a month a decision on whether Rittenhouse should be returned to Wisconsin to face charges.

Rittenhouse faces five felony charges, including first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree reckless homicide, and a misdemeanor charge for possession of a dangerous weapon by a minor.

Rittenhouse, a white teen who was armed with a semi-automatic rifle as he walked Kenosha's streets with other armed civilians during this week's protests, would face a mandatory life sentence if convicted of first-degree intentional homicide. Under Wisconsin law, anyone 17 or older is treated as an adult in the criminal justice system.

According to Pierce Brainbridge, the lawfirm representing the Antioch teen, on the day of the shooting, the 17-year-old worked as a community lifeguard in Kenosha, and later on, he went to the local public high school to remove graffiti.

Many buildings were tagged with graffiti and several were destroyed when unrest ensued in the days following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha police officer.

On Tuesday, according to attorneys, Rittenhouse and a friend received information about a call for help from a local business owner, whose downtown Kenosha auto dealership was largely destroyed and needed help protecting his business. Kyle and the friend armed themselves with rifles and headed to the business.

The attorneys stated that protesters threatened and taunted Rittenhouse several times as he and his friend stood guard at the business. They claim the 17-year-old became concerned about protesters injured in clashes with police, and went to provide first aid, according to NBC affiliate WTMJ in Milwaukee.

Rittenhouse eventually made his way toward a second auto shop where he was confronted by protesters, according to a news release.

"Upon the sound of a gunshot behind him, Kyle turned and was immediately faced with an attacker lunging towards him and reaching for his rifle," the attorneys said. "He reacted instantaneously and justifiably with his weapon to protect himself, firing and striking the attacker."

Kyle stopped to ensure care for the wounded person, but faced a "growing mob," according to the lawfirm.

"In fear for his life and concerned the crowd would either continue to shoot at him or even use his own weapon against him, Kyle had no choice but to fire multiple rounds towards his immediate attackers, striking two, including one armed attacker," the statement from the lawfirm added.

The lawyers contend the 17-year-old "exercised his God-given, Constitutional, common law and statutory law right to self-defense."

“A 17-year old child should not have to take up arms in America to protect life and property," the statement read. "That is the job of state and local governments. However, those governments have failed, and law-abiding citizens have no choice but to protect their own communities..."

Timeline: The Jacob Blake Shooting and the Unrest That Followed

At 5:11 p.m. on Aug. 23, Kenosha police officers were called to a scene that would ultimately end with officers shooting a Black man, Jacob Blake, in the back at least seven times.

In the hours and days following, protests erupted and the small Wisconsin city became the center of nationwide outrage, the latest focal point in what has been summer of unrest amid cries for racial justice.

Here's a look back at what happened and when:

Aug. 23

At 5:11 p.m. Kenosha police said officers responded to a call of a "domestic incident in the 2800 block of 40th Street. There, they would encounter 29-year-old Jacob Blake who is seen on video posted to social media in an altercation with officers before they Tase and ultimately shoot him seven times in the back as he leans into a vehicle. The Kenosha department does not have body cameras so officers were not wearing them at the time of the shooting. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Blake's family, said Blake was “simply trying to do the right thing by intervening in a domestic incident.” The officers were placed on administrative leave, standard practice in a shooting by police, while the state Justice Department investigates.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden condemned the shooting. Republicans and the police union accused the politicians of rushing to judgment.
A large crowd gathered near the area Sunday evening. Social media posts showed neighbors gathering in the surrounding streets and shouting at police. Marchers headed to the Kenosha County Public Safety Building, which houses the police and county sheriff's departments. Protesters set cars on fire, smashed windows and clashed with officers in riot gear. Officers fired tear gas to disperse the crowds.
The city implemented a curfew until 7 a.m. Monday

Aug. 24

Kenosha residents woke Monday morning to broken storefront windows and cars burnt out.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPD Supt. David Brown both responded to the shooting Monday. Lightfoot said she was "deeply disturbed" by the video of police shooting Blake and Brown called it "god-awful."
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers called for a special legislative session to consider a package of police reforms.
Tensions flared after a news conference with Kenosha Mayor John Antarmian, originally to be held in a park, was moved inside the city’s public safety building. Hundreds of protesters rushed to the building and a door was snapped off its hinges before police in riot gear pepper-sprayed the crowd.
Police officers in the city of Kenosha won’t be equipped with body cameras until 2022, the mayor said.
Just after 2 p.m., Evers authorized the Wisconsin National Guard to help provide support to law enforcement agencies.
A curfew was again issued in Kenosha County, taking effect at 8 p.m. and expiring at 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Police first fired tear gas about 30 minutes after the 8 p.m. curfew took effect to disperse protesters who chanted, “No justice, no peace” as they confronted a line of officers who wore protective gear and stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the courthouse entrance. But hundreds of people stuck around, screaming at police and lighting fires, including to a garbage truck near the courthouse.
Protests spread across the U.S. Monday with demonstrations in Chicago, New York City, San Diego, Los Angeles and more.

Aug. 25

Jacob Blake's mother, father and three sisters, alongside civil rights attorneys, spoke out publicly on the shooting as it grips the nation. Blake's mother issued an impassioned plea for people across the country to "take a moment and examine your heart," saying her son would be "unpleased" by the unrest sparked from his shooting by police over the weekend.
The family's attorney said Blake is paralyzed and it will “take a miracle” for him to walk again. He called for the officer who opened fire to be arrested and others involved to lose their jobs. The 29-year-old Blake underwent surgery Tuesday afternoon, said attorney Ben Crump, adding that the bullets severed Blake’s spinal cord and shattered his vertebrae. Another attorney said there was also severe damage to organs. The legal team plans to file a civil lawsuit against the police department over the shooting.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency under which he doubled the National Guard deployment in Kenosha from 125 to 250. A curfew was once again issued.
The Chicago Bears issued a statement promising to use the organization’s resources to “be a proponent of change” in local communities.In the statement, the Bears said that they are supporting efforts to end systemic racism.
The mayor of Evanston, Illinois, where Jacob Blake played high school football and has family ties, said that the community is in shock following the incident. Mayor Stephen Hagerty said "Evanston’s collective hearts ache for Jacob and his family, and we are praying for his full and speedy recovery."
For the third night in a row, demonstrators and police clashed on the streets of Kenosha. During the day Tuesday, peaceful protests had once again taken place, but as night fell the tension continued to build, and in spite of a curfew that went into effect at 8 p.m., many remained on the streets near Civic Center Park in downtown Kenosha. Police clad in riot gear were summoned to the area once again after demonstrators tried to push over newly-erected safety fences, and tear gas was fired at some in the crowd who attempted to breach the barriers. Eventually an unlawful assembly was declared by police, and skirmishes between officers and demonstrators continued into the late evening hours.
At around 11:45 p.m., authorities said three people were shot, two fatally, in Kenosha as unrest gripped the Wisconsin city. Officers responded to the area of 63rd and Sheridan Road for reports of a shooting, Kenosha police said in a statement. Few details were released, but police said investigators were aware of videos related to the shooting circulating on social media, asking anyone with further video or photo evidence to reach out.

Kenosha Aug 27, 2020

Social media footage surfaced surrounding the late-night fatal shooting during unrest. Witness accounts and video indicate the gunman first shot someone at a car lot just before midnight, but details on what sparked that shooting weren't immediately clear. The alleged gunman then jogged away, fell in the street, and opened fire again as members of the crowd closed in on him, some appearing to kick and grab at his weapon. According to witness accounts and video footage, police apparently let the gunman walk past them and leave the scene with a rifle over his shoulder and his hands in the air as members of the crowd were yelling for him to be arrested because he had shot people.
Members of the Kenosha County Board, in a letter to Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, requested additional National Guard troops be sent to the area.The group asked for 1,500 additional members "with police powers" be sent to the county "immediately."
President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday afternoon that federal law enforcement will be sent to Kenosha as unrest continues to grip the Wisconsin city following the police shooting of a Black man on Sunday.
A teenage suspect in the shooting of multiple people during the unrest was taken into custody in Lake County, Illinois, and is facing first-degree intentional homicide charges, police confirmed. The suspect was identified as 17-year-old Antioch resident Kyle Rittenhouse.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said the shooting that left two people dead and one injured amid unrest in Kenosha the night before was a "senseless tragedy" as he called for protests to remain peaceful and asked anyone not exercising their First Amendment rights to "stay home."
Kenosha authorities held one of their first press conferences since Jacob Blake's shooting. There they discuss measures taken to address the unrest and address the overnight fatal shooting, but do not detail what happened in Blake's shooting. They also discuss vigilante groups of armed citizens patrolling streets at night. As for how Tuesday's gunman managed to slip away, Sheriff David Beth described a chaotic, high-stress scene, with lots of radio traffic and people screaming, chanting and running — conditions he said can cause “tunnel vision” among law officers.
The two people killed were identified only as a 26-year-old Silver Lake, Wisconsin, resident and a 36-year-old from Kenosha. The wounded person, a 36-year-old from West Allis, Wisconsin, was expected to survive, police said.
At 6 p.m., Wisconsin's Attorney General held a press conference and the Wisconsin Department of Justice releases some of the first information surrounding Blake's shooting. The department details preliminary information, naming the officer involved and reporting that Blake "admitted" to officers he had a knife at the time, but says an investigation remains ongoing.
The Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office called for a civil rights investigation into the Jacob Blake shooting.
Citing potential unrest related to the incidents that occurred in Kenosha, authorities in Antioch instituted an 8 p.m. curfew for all residents until further notice.
Making their strongest statement yet in the fight against racial injustice, players from six NBA teams refused to play postseason games on Wednesday in an act of protest that quickly reverberated across other professional leagues. Also called off: Some games in Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and three WNBA contests, as players across four leagues decided the best way to use their platform and demand change was to literally step off the playing surface.
As authorities piece together a case against Rittenhouse, new details began to emerge about his life. Interested in law enforcement, Rittenhouse routinely posted pictures of himself on social media, including photos with the phrase “Blue Lives Matter” featured prominently. Another video, posted to a Tik Tok account purportedly run by Rittenhouse, appears to show him sitting in the front row of a rally hosted by President Donald Trump earlier this year.
Facebook confirmed Wednesday that it took down one group's page, titled The Kenosha Guard, for violating its policy against militia organizations. The company said it also is in the process of removing other accounts and material tied to the shootings that violate its policies, such as for glorifying violence, and it is in contact with local and federal law enforcement on the matter.
Facebook also removed Rittenhouse's accounts from Facebook and Instagram. The company said it had not found evidence on Facebook that suggests the suspected shooter followed the Kenosha Guard Page or was invited on its Event Page to go to the protests.

Aug. 27

Protests were mostly peaceful overnight. As of early Thursday, there were no groups patrolling with long guns as there were during previous nights of protests over the Sunday shooting of Blake, who was left paralyzed. Protesters also stayed away from a courthouse that had been the site of standoffs with law enforcement.
Kenosha police held another press conference but refuse to take reporter questions.
Gov. Evers and other state officials held a press conference in Kenosha discouraging vigilantes and questioning how an Illinois teen was able to avoid arrest while armed on the street.
Prosecutors charged 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse in the fatal shooting of two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and the wounding of a third.