Police shooting of black male in Wisconsin sparks protests, brick attack on police officer

A police shooting involving a black male in Wisconsin late Sunday has sparked protests with looting and a police officer hit with what witnesses describe as a brick.

The protests followed the posting of a video on social media that appeared to show an officer shooting the man in the back several times as he leaned into a vehicle in the city of Kenosha. 

The shooting occurred around 5 p.m. on Sunday. The victim as been identified as Jacob Blake, who was hospitalized in serious condition in a purported "domestic incident."

Blake was taken to hospital in Milwaukee, about 40 miles away. 

Seven shots were heard on the original video, though more than one officer may have fired. The footage depicts several officers shouting and pointing their weapons at a man, who walks around the front of a parked SUV,  opens the driver's side door and leans inside. 

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers condemned the shooting saying in a statement: "While we do not have all of the details yet, what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country.”

“In the coming days, we will demand just that of elected officials in our state who have failed to recognize the racism in our state and our country for far too long," the Democratic governor also said. 

Following the shooting, crowds began to line the streets, shouting "no justice, no peace."

Vehicles were set ablaze and windows were smashed. Officers in tactical gear and SWAT vehicles were deployed to keep protesters away from at least one government building. According to some reports, tear gas was used to break up groups of people. A city-wide curfew was imposed. 

The crowds eventually turned toward the Kenosha County Public Safety Building. Outside the station, marchers clashed with police who held batons and plastic shields used to push the line of protestors back. 

The state's Department of Justice is investigating the shooting. They did not release any details except to say the police officers involved have been placed on leave.