Jacob Blake's Dad Says He Woke Up and Asked, 'Why Did They Shoot Me So Many Times?'

The Wisconsin man was shot seven times in the back by police

Jacob Blake Sr. Photo: KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty

The father of Jacob Blake says that his son woke up in his hospital bed and asked why he'd been shot so many times by police.

Jacob Blake Sr. told CNN reporter Alisyn Camerota that his son was heavily medicated, handcuffed to a hospital bed and paralyzed from the waist down when he regained consciousness. According to the elder Blake, his son clutched his hand and wept.

"Why did they shoot me so many times?' he allegedly asked his father.

"Baby they weren't supposed to shoot you at all," the elder Blake says he responded.

Blake, a Black man, was shot multiple times by white police officer Rusten Sheskey on Sunday in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Video of the shooting went viral after it was captured by bystanders.

The video appears to show police aiming guns at Blake, who is walking away from two officers. When he opens the driver's side door to a vehicle and appears to lean inside, at least seven gunshots are then heard.

Jacob Blake, at left. Ben Crump Twitter

Blake is currently paralyzed from the waist down as he continues to recover, according to his father. Doctors have not told the family yet whether or not the paralysis is permanent.

On Wednesday, Sheskey was identified as the Kenosha Police Department officer who shot Blake, in a statement released by Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation. Sheskey has been with Kenosha Police Department for seven years.

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According to officials, officers from the Kenosha Police Department were dispatched to a residence after a caller reported that her boyfriend, who was not supposed to be on the premises, was at the home. Officers on scene attempted to arrest Blake and deployed a Taser, the DOJ said. Upon further investigation, Blake allegedly admitted that he had a knife in his possession, which authorities were able to retrieve from the driver’s side floorboard of the car. No other weapons were found.

Jacob Blake, at center.

The DOJ said all officers involved in the incident have now been placed on administrative leave and officials noted that no other officer fired their weapons. None of the officers were wearing body cameras at the time, as the Kenosha Police Department has not been equipped with them.

In his CNN interview, Jacob Blake Sr. says his son's life is still in the balance.

"My son is fighting for his life," he said. "He's holding on."

To help combat systemic racism, consider learning from or donating to these organizations:

• Campaign Zero (joincampaignzero.org) which works to end police brutality in America through research-proven strategies.
• ColorofChange.org works to make the government more responsive to racial disparities.
• National Cares Mentoring Movement (caresmentoring.org) provides social and academic support to help Black youth succeed in college and beyond.

Updated by Steve Helling