Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) told Jacob Blake Jr. on Monday that she is “proud of him and how he is working through his pain,” according to attorney Benjamin Crump, who represents the Blake family.
Blake was shot seven times from behind in a confrontation with Kenosha, Wisconsin, police on Aug. 23. He was wounded and paralyzed from the waist down. The incident sparked local riots, and Blake became the latest victim to be championed by the Black Lives Matter movement.
At the time of the confrontation, there was a warrant for Blake’s arrest for “third-degree sexual assault, trespassing and disorderly conduct,” according to the Associated Press. A knife was found in his car, Wisconsin authorities later revealed.
Blake Jr. spoke publicly for the first time on Saturday night, releasing a video from his hospital bed in which he spoke about pain from his injuries, adding: “Please, I’m telling you, change your lives out there.” He also appeared in court via video on Friday, pleading not guilty to the pending charges against him, which are not related to the Aug. 23 shooting. As local NBC affiliate WTMJ-TV noted:
According to a criminal complaint filed in July, Blake is accused of sexually assaulting a woman back in May. The woman told police that Blake also took her car keys and a debit card from her before fleeing. Blake was also charged with disorderly conduct – domestic abuse and criminal trespass – domestic abuse. – READ MORE
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