Jacob Blake Sr., Jacob Blake Jr.’s father, was hospitalized last week after being aggressively detained by police during the Jayland Walker protest.
Blake Sr. was part of the protesters who gathered in Akron, Ohio, on Wednesday, July 6, to protest the death of Walker by officers who shot him over 60 times, according to the Journal Times. Jacob Blake Sr. traveled from Kenosha, Wisconsin, where his son was paralyzed after being shot seven times by Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey in August 2020.
Blake Sr. was hospitalized Wednesday evening after being detained during the protest. Justin Blake, Blake Sr.’s brother, said that his brother has several health issues, including heart problems, that have worsened as a result of his encounter.
“They were making a statement, and they used all these people as examples,” Justin Blake said. “They’re showing they are a brutal police force.”
Police issued an arrest warrant for Blake Sr. on Thursday, July 7, charging him with rioting, resisting arrest, failing to disperse, and disorderly conduct. Blake Sr. returned to the protests the same day, speaking out against the police claims and encouraging protesters to remain vigilant in their protests against police brutality and misconduct.
“They beat me into a seizure. I don’t know what happened next,” Blake Sr. Said. “When I woke up at the hospital, I woke up more determined than ever.” “We cannot let fear dictate what we do,” he added.
Several family members of police shooting victims attended the protests, including Blake Sr., Samaria Rice, the mother of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was fatally shot by police in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2014 while playing with a toy gun in a park.
Bianca Austin, the aunt of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT (emergency medical technician) who was shot and killed in her apartment by Louisville police in 2020, was also arrested at the protest.
The current protests are in response to the fatal police shooting of Jayland Walker, 25, on June 27 after a car chase. Medical examiners say he was brought to them while still wearing handcuffs and had at least 60 wounds on his body, though it’s unclear how many were exit and entrance wounds.