This evening in Wisconsin, Kenosha police shot an unarmed Black father, Jacob Blake, in front of his children. It’s a sickening, infuriating tragedy, and a symptom of the deadly disease of white supremacy and racism that must be confronted and defeated in our state and nation.

We send our deepest prayers to Jacob Blake, and wish him and his loved ones strength in his recovery. This is yet another horrifying reminder of the violence of white supremacy, which devalues, maims, and ends Black lives in our state.

The officer who shot Mr. Blake seven times at point blank range should be investigated, tried, and convicted.

We don’t yet know the details of this situation. But we know a man was shot in the back in broad daylight.

We know that Wisconsin is one of the worst states to raise a Black child, is a state that incarcerates Black men at one of the highest rates in the nation, and is a state with a brutal history of police violence.

Black lives matter. Jacob Blake’s life matters. Our party stands in solidarity with the movement across Wisconsin and nationwide to root out the poison of racism and bring a day where tragedies like tonight’s are painful history, not everyday reality.

Full official statement from @WisDems on the horrific shooting of Jacob Blake: