Jacob Blake Sr. arrested at protest in Akron, Ohio

Jacob Blake Sr., whose son was shot by Kenosha police in 2020 triggering days of unrest, was arrested Thursday in Akron, Ohio, by local law enforcement. Blake was joined by family members of Breonna Taylor and other families who’ve experienced police violence, as they protested the shooting of 25-year-old Jayland Walker. Blake and the other family members were charged with rioting, and the city remained under a curfew Friday.

The 25-year-old Walker was killed on June 27. Walker was unarmed and attempting to flee a traffic stop when officers unleashed a hail of around 90 rounds upon him. Walker was struck at least 60 times, and was transported, still handcuffed, to the coroner’s office for an autopsy.

Blake said he was continuing to speak out against police brutality. “We’re here to take a stand,” said Blake, Democracy Now! reported, “because enough is enough. If this was white America and a white boy had been shot 60 times by the police, it would go up in smoke. But because he’s brown and looks like me, 60 shots. … What did he do to provoke? Nobody can provoke someone to shoot them 60 times. No one.”

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