Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, said that a 911 call involving a "domestic incident" took them to Jacob Blake's neighborhood on August 23.
The 29-year-old Black man was shot seven times in the back within three minutes of officers arriving, according to dispatch audio pieced together by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The accounts leading up to that encounter vary.
Blake's defense team says he was trying to break up a fight, according to NPR. A police report says that "a female caller reported that her boyfriend was present and was not supposed to be on the premises." It also describes officers trying unsuccessfully to take Blake into custody.
The Blake shooting has reinvigorated Black Lives Matter protests around the United States, which swelled after the killing of George Floyd in May. The movement has included a call to "defund the police" generally understood to mean diverting funding from police departments to other community resources.
Asked how else the Blake situation could've been handled, Sean Blackmon, a spokesperson for the Stop Police Terror Project DC, a police reform advocacy organization, replied: "I would suggest not shooting him in the back seven times."
Blackmon wasn't trying to be flippant. He said police, too often, resort to violence when things don't go the way they want.
"We have to ask ourselves: Was Jacob Blake shot ... and partially paralyzed because he wouldn't leave the premises? Or because he refused to obey the word of a cop? And to police, not doing every single thing they say is a crime worthy of death," he said.
Paige Fernandez, policing policy advisor for the ACLU National Political Advocacy Department, took it a step further, saying that armed police officers should never have been at the scene to begin with.
"Even if they did respond," she said, "they shouldn't have been armed, and there shouldn't have been multiple police. Police didn't de-escalate that situation they escalated it and tried to murder a man. They are unreformable, and we must work to shrink their role and responsibilities, so they aren't able to cause further harm."
Activists and policy experts who spoke to Insider believe that public safety should be in the hands of the community.
But that's not without its issues: George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain in Sanford, Florida, shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012 after reporting that the teenager appeared "suspicious."
A young boy holds a sign during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd, in St Louis, Missouri, U.S., June 1, 2020. Picture taken June 1,2020 Lawrence Bryant/Reuters
He had pursued Martin even though a 911 dispatcher told him not to, taking matters into his own hands. Zimmerman was ultimately acquitted of murder in the case, claiming he shot Martin in self-defense.
Eight years later, Travis and Gregory McMichael hopped into their truck and chased Ahmaud Arbery through their Georgia neighborhood based on the belief that he resembled a burglary suspect. The 26-year-old Black man was gunned down during that encounter. After the case was passed between several district attorneys, the McMichaels were charged with murder weeks after the incident.
Blackmon described those crimes against Black people as acts of "racist vigilantism," and stressed the need for "organized democratic community-based public safety."
A warrant had been issued for Jacob Blake's arrest in July. He was charged with felony sexual assault and disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing, both misdemeanors, according to Wisconsin court records. The Wall Street Journal reported that the charges stemmed from his girlfriend who is also the mother of three of his six children telling police that Blake entered her house, digitally penetrated her without her consent, and took off with her car and debit card.
On Friday, Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis said he couldn't confirm whether the aggressive approach taken by police was connected to the warrant for sexual assault in the domestic abuse case.
But Melina Abdullah, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter who told Insider she's personally experienced domestic violence said the issue wasn't relevant. Blake's fate isn't justice, she said.
"I don't know a survivor who wants the outcome that was meted out on Jacob Blake for even their abuser," she said. "What they want is an end to the abuse."
Melina Abdullah, of Black Lives Matter, addresses the crowd during a demonstration to ask for the removal of District Attorney Jackie Lacey in front of the Hall of Justice, in Los Angeles, California, on June 17, 2020. VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images
Abdullah turned to her brother for support. But not everyone can depend on their family like she did, she said. That makes it critical for American society to be "creative and thoughtful and restorative and transformative in our approach to justice."
"We really believe that the answer to all of this is investing in community," she added. "So even if you don't have a wonderful blood brother like I do, you can have the community ... offer what you need."
Abdullah views a budget as "a statement of values and priorities," adding that cities would be better off if put taxpayer dollars were used community resources on the "front end," helping people in need, rather than pouring billions of dollars into police agencies every year. Her plans would involve abolishing police departments as we currently know them.
"The police are basically there to respond to crime," but "interventionists and prevention workers can actually bring peace to neighborhoods," Abdullah said.
For his part, Blackmon took a long view of policing in the United States. He said the current policing system is worse-off for disadvantaged people, including people of color. The result of this centuries-old status quo is a build-up of "resentment and frustration," he said, and "the police are put in place to keep a lid on the pot of frustrations."
Reducing the size of a police department is not enough, he said, calling for a holistic approach that is fueled by the "intentional reinvestment" of funds into better education, affordable healthcare, employment opportunities, youth services, and community-led peacekeeping efforts.
Fernandez echoed the sentiment, noting that the ACLU supports divestment and specifically uses that term because it's "not a police or prison abolitionist organization."
Instead, she said, the ACLU believes "we need more investment in communities of color that have suffered from decades of underinvestment in everything except police, racist policies, and their related punitive programs. If we invested more in prevention, many domestic incidents wouldn't have happened in the first place."
Police in riot gear stand outside the Kenosha County Court House Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. AP Photo/Morry Gash
It's important for higher-ups to fund "community-based and community-led interventions," Fernandez added, because "communities know how best to respond to harm in them, and it's important we foster accountability on the local level."
Abdullah believes that the next Zimmerman or McMichael can be avoided by ensuring that those who are tasked with safeguarding a community come from within it and can understand its pain points.
So Black neighborhoods, for instance, would be empowered to look internally when it comes to their own safety.
"We want the community that's most impacted by violence to be the providers of security," she said. "We want community members to be able to determine what security looks like for them."
This article has been updated.
The rest is here:
How to defund the police without creating another George Zimmerman - Insider - INSIDER
- Twin Oaks Intentional Community - Twin Oaks Intentional ... - December 8th, 2016 [December 8th, 2016]
- The Camphill Assocation of North America Communities - December 9th, 2016 [December 9th, 2016]
- Cohousing - Wikipedia - December 11th, 2016 [December 11th, 2016]
- Communes: the pros & cons of intentional community ... - December 21st, 2016 [December 21st, 2016]
- Jewish Intentional Communities Conference - Hazon - December 25th, 2016 [December 25th, 2016]
- Common Fire Beacon-Newburgh | Creating diverse ... - January 2nd, 2017 [January 2nd, 2017]
- Intentional Housing Communities | www.hampshire.edu - February 5th, 2017 [February 5th, 2017]
- A First Gen Lawyer-Turned-Entrepreneur Pioneers New Standards for College Freshmen - Huffington Post - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Disparities in minority unemployment targeted by Iowa officials - DesMoinesRegister.com - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- ACE program benefits low-income communities - Observer Online - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Want a happy old age? Get your friends to be your neighbours - Independent Online - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Coalition Calls Itself The 'Eyes, Ears & Voice' Of Pittsburgh's Black Community - 90.5 WESA - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- 'A community remembers' coming to Hesston - Butler County Times Gazette - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Krista Tippett February 01, 2017 - America Magazine - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Serving the most diverse urban area on the planet - New York Nonprofit Media - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- To truly serve the public, community stations must apply standards for what's said on-air - Current - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Here's what went down at the NYC launch of Ashley Biden's charitable clothing line - Technical.ly - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Appalachian's Alternative Service Experience among nation's top 10 higher education institutions for number of programs - Appalachian State University - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Pastor: We must build bridges between police and local black communities - Fort Worth Star Telegram (blog) - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Chris Wood: Now more than ever localize! - vtdigger.org - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- A Business Plan for Healthy Communities - Hospitals & Health Networks - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- The Death of the Ski Bum and Intentional Tourism - The Catalyst - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Heroin hits home: Highways provide "easy access" for drug trafficking in Franklin County - Herald-Mail Media - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- How Anarchists and Intentional Communities Are Reacting to ... - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Ohio Continues with Next Phase of InsideOut Initiative to Combat Win-at-All Costs Sports Mentality - Norwalk Reflector - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Microsoft Executives to Keynote Summit EMEA 2017 Conference - Yahoo Finance - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Marnita's Table set for Wednesday - Daily Globe - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- David Littlewood, guest columnist: Time to repeal Dodd-Frank Act and free up our community banks - Waco Tribune-Herald - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Ithaca organization encourages people to participate in National Random Acts of Kindness Week - The Ithaca Voice - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Portland groups form coalition to eradicate hate - KOIN.com - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Nash says 'there's more to do' on diversity at State of the County address - Gwinnettdailypost.com - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Anson County community meeting to fight poverty planned for Feb. 18 - Ansonrecord - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Spreading the Faith: Moving Coins and Moving Communities - Patheos (blog) - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- If It Walks Like a Duck - ChicagoNow (blog) - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Immigrant Round-ups Stir Fears - Consortium News - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Pace: What Should I Give Up This Year? - Covington News - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- J Mase III of #BlackTransMagick seeks to redistribute resources - Daily Illini - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- South Side getting trauma center, but it'll be far more than just an emergency room - Fox 32 Chicago - February 21st, 2017 [February 21st, 2017]
- St. Louis Park cohousing community welcomes home all ages - Minneapolis Star Tribune - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- The Benedict Option and Rod Dreher's LGBT Challenge - The Atlantic - The Atlantic - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Mark Sundeen looks for a better way to live - Missoula Independent - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Cohousing communities gain popularity, including here in Nashville - WKRN.com - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- The Christian Retreat From Public Life - The Atlantic - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- New senior living community eyeing Waxahachie - Waxahachie Daily Light - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Better health needs a diverse workforce - Greenville Daily Reflector - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- Businesses: State needs more immigrants - Mankato Free Press - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- Cohousing communities gain popularity - WDTN - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- Letters: Dismiss Schimel, others for maps - The Sheboygan Press - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Drums, Voices, and Circles - Memphis Democrat - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Food: Four Short Talks brings community to the table - Dailyuw - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Family School rebuts report on lack of diversity - Coastal View News - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- The Wall Street Journal explores trends in Christian community life sort of - GetReligion (blog) - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Renting land to highest bidder stumbling block for young people looking to start in agriculture - INFORUM - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- Transportation/Traveling While Living Off Grid - Mother Earth News - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- New School Board President Believes Schools Belong to Communities - The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration) - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- Worcester's retiree health costs 'unsustainable' - telegram.com - Worcester Telegram - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- 12 on Tuesday: Leslie Orrantia - WISC - Channel 3000 - Channel3000.com - WISC-TV3 - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- By walking the beat, Kalamazoo officers nurture genuine ... - Michigan Radio - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Sometimes the Grass Really is Greener - Memphis Democrat - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Is Clallam opening the door to tiny houses? | Sequim Gazette - Sequim Gazette - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- New St. Paul police program aims to mentor recruits - Minneapolis Star Tribune - March 9th, 2017 [March 9th, 2017]
- A New Kind of Homeless Village is Coming to Kenton. It's a Big Deal. - The Portland Mercury (blog) - March 10th, 2017 [March 10th, 2017]
- Why We Need the Benedict Option and How It Doesn't Have to ... - Patheos (blog) - March 10th, 2017 [March 10th, 2017]
- National Expert Shares Thoughts on Environmental Justice - WUWM - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- The Promise of Paradise features area - 100 Mile House Free Press - March 12th, 2017 [March 12th, 2017]
- Speak out about your experiences - Hibbing Daily Tribune - March 12th, 2017 [March 12th, 2017]
- Trust comes in several varieties - Muncie Star Press - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Intentional neighborhoods take root across country - LancasterOnline - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- my family did the benedict option before it was cool and here's why it doesn't work - Patheos (blog) - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Saint Benedict's Mandate - Patheos (blog) - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Cohousing Part I: Creating community and reducing social isolation - Michigan State University Extension - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Searching for a greater interfaith understanding - Seattle Globalist - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- The fight for affordable housing in Jefferson Park continues - Chicago Tribune - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- A 'Justin Option'? Justin Martyr and the Ben-Op - National Catholic Register (blog) - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- The Groves of Academe: On Keep the Damned Women Out - lareviewofbooks - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- Curating Community through Intentional Placemaking - Urban Land - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- Local ties: New tailgate market locations highlight business and community connections - Mountain Xpress - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- How Power Street Theatre Company is taking on representation in the arts - Generocity - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Open house will celebrate Folk Art Guild's 50 years - News - The ... - Penn Yan Chronicle-Express (blog) - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Archbishop: In 'post-Christian world' fidelity, charity, truth stand out - CatholicPhilly.com - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]