This archive report was first published on 26 August 2020.
On August 26, 2020, Kenosha, Wisconsin, witnessed a third night of chaotic protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black resident whose three children were present when he was shot by a white police officer.
Protests had been ongoing since the shooting, with demonstrators clashing with law enforcement officials near the county courthouse in downtown Kenosha.
On Tuesday evening, a standoff between police and protesters lasted for hours, with protesters throwing water bottles, rocks, and fireworks at the police, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.
Despite repeated warnings from the police to disperse, the crowd remained, and the standoff continued until shots were fired outside a gas station several blocks away, leaving three people shot, with one fatality.
According to Sheriff David Beth, the shooting was a result of the presence of armed citizens who had gathered outside the gas station, promising to protect the property.
“I’ve had people saying, ‘Why don’t you deputize citizens?’” Sheriff Beth said. “This is why you don’t deputize citizens with guns to protect Kenosha.”
