Kenosha, Wisconsin exploded in violence on Sunday evening when a black man named Jacob Blake was shot in the back seven times by a police officer after he refused an order to stop, and attempted to gain entry into a vehicle.
On Monday, the Green Bay Packers, headquartered roughly 150 miles away from Kenosha, issued a statement saying they were “shocked” by the video of the shooting. The team also, despite acknowledging that a full investigation has barely even begun, used the incident to blast “systemic racism” and “injustices against black people.”
“The Packers organization was shocked to see the video that showed police shooting Jacob Blake multiple times in the back,” the Packers stated. “We are hopeful Jacob makes a full recovery, and our thoughts are with his family.
“While we understand a full investigation of this terrible incident will take place, we are deeply troubled at what again has become a painful example of the significant challenges we face with respect to police brutality, systemic racism and injustices against Black people. We continue to call for meaningful dialogue to affect the needed change we all desire.”
Packers coach Matt LaFleur told reporters that he sees the shooting as a reminder to spread “awareness to everybody that Black lives matter.”
“It’s amazing to me that this is still happening, so [we] wanted to get our guys’ perspective and try to float around some ideas on how we can make a difference and use our platform, because things have to change,” coach Matt LaFleur told reporters. “The social injustice, the police brutality, the antiquated laws, [we] just got to bring awareness to everybody that Black lives matter. We can’t stand for this any longer.
“When you watch something like that, it’s just so disgusting. It’s disturbing. I watched {the video} once, and I just don’t even know what to think. I know I don’t know all the facts around the case, but it’s just a series. It keeps happening over, and over, and over again, and it blows my mind that we’re sitting here in 2020, and we can’t treat everybody the same. I don’t know, I’m just kind of at a loss for words.”
Not that it matters to anyone, apparently, but the investigation into the shooting of Jacob Blake has barely even begun, much less been completed. Nor has any evidence been produced that the officer who shot Blake is a racist. It’s also reasonable to conclude that the officer had reason to be concerned about Blake reaching into his vehicle and potentially producing a weapon. One can also reasonably conclude that, regardless of who was in the right, had Blake simply complied with the officers directives he likely would not have been shot.
Blake survived the shooting and is receiving care at a local hospital.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn