Former Vice President Joe Biden said he has spoken with the family of Jacob Blake, a black man who was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin in a confrontation caught on video that has since sparked major protests, adding: "I told them justice must and will be done."
A 17-year-old Illinois resident was arrested and charged with shooting and killing two people and injuring one other in Kenosha, Wisconsin amid protests sparked by Mr Blake's shooting, with video footage showing a white gunman carrying a semi-automatic rifle and opening fire in the middle of the street.
The protests turned violent on Tuesday evening as people gathered in honour of Mr Blake, who was shot by police seven times on Sunday. Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth later condemned armed "vigilantes" attempting to deputise for police officers in response to the protests, as local officials called for "additional guns" to be taken off the streets. It was later reported that the shooting suspect was spotted attending a rally held in January by Donald Trump, who meanwhile announced on Wednesday that he would be sending the National Guard to Wisconsin after Governor Tony Evers requested federal assistance.
Follow along with The Independent's live updates and coverage below:
‘We are scared as black people in America’: LeBron makes powerful statement on police shooting of Jacob Blake
Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James has expressed his anguish at the shooting of Jacob Blake, Wisconsin man left fighting for his life in hospital after a police officer shot him seven times in the back, Andrew Naughtie writes.
He spoke as Mr Blake’s home town of Kenosha saw people take angrily to the streets after the shooting, which was caught on graphic video by a neighbour and which has added fuel to nationwide protests against police brutality and racism.
In his remarks to the press, broadcast on ESPN, Mr James rejected the idea that the shooting was somehow inevitable or justified by anything Mr Blake did.
“If you’re sitting here telling me that there was no way to subdue that gentleman, or to detain him, or to just – before the firing of the guns – you’re sitting here lying to not only me, you’re lying to every African-American, every black person in the community.
“Because we see it over and over and over. There was multiple – if you watch the video – there was multiple moments where, if they wanted to, they could’ve tackled him, they could’ve grabbed him. You know, they could have done that.”
The rest of the NFL saw what the Lions did, and has come together with their own discussions about social issues and how they might be able to affect change.
"At this time, everybody needs to come together and join hands and love each other for what we are and the privilege we have in the short period of time we have on Earth," said Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who is white. "As opposed to walking in fear, to walk with strength and pride. And if we do that, we'll be a great example to the world."
"It's just where we are as a country," he said. "You've got to put football aside. This is human life, and this is about all our lives, and these guys have a message. They have a platform. They have something that needs to be said, and so I'm here, obviously, to listen, to listen to their ideas and their comments and the things that they're dealing with every single day.
"So for the Lions to do that and to show a sign of unity I think is a very powerful message in our society today."
McDougald, who spoke hours before three NBA playoff games were postponed as players around that league chose to boycott in their statement against racial injustice, cited the peaceful protests across the country over the last several months. And how statues of former slave owners have been taken down, and streets have been painted with "Black Lives Matter."
Colin Kaepernick, exiled from the NFL since the 2016 season when he took a knee during the national anthem, shed light on police brutality and racial inequality while playing for the San Francisco 49ers. McDougald insists true change needs to continue, and not just one-time bursts during which people push social injustice into the forefront.
However, McDougald wonders if the message gets forgotten too quickly as people move on with their lives.
"I'm not bashing them. I'm commending them," McDougald said of the Lions. "That was great that they did that. But just like every other peaceful protest or every other movement we started, hashtag we started, it still comes back to nothing's getting settled. Nothing real is getting done."
Senator Lindsey Graham has indicated he is not jumping to any conclusions on why police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, shot 29-year-old Jacob Blake in the back seven times, saying Mr Blake, who is black, "didn't yield" to officers' orders, Griffin Connolly writes.
The South Carolina Republican, one of President Donald Trump's closest confidants in the Senate, made the comments about Mr Blake's shooting at a press conference announcing the South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police's endorsement of his re-election campaign.
“I don't know what happened there. Let's find out. It's dangerous being a cop,” Mr Graham said, when asked on Tuesday about Mr Blake being shot on 23 August.
“I don't know why the gentleman didn't yield when he was asked to yield. I don't know what the facts are," Mr Graham said.
Mr Blake is alive, but now paralysed from the waist down, the family's attorney, Ben Crump, has told reporters. It would take a "miracle" for Mr Blake to walk again, Mr Crump said.
The National Guard will be deployed to Kenosha after Wisconsin agreed to federal help in quelling three nights of looting, arson and violence, Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, Justin Vallejo writes.
The president said that federal law enforcement would be sent to the city after the state’s governor, Tony Evers, requested federal assistance from the White House.
“We will NOT stand for looting, arson, violence, and lawlessness on American streets. My team just got off the phone with Governor Evers who agreed to accept federal assistance (Portland should do the same!)...” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.
The Milwaukee Bucks will not play their fifth first-round playoff game against the Orlando Magic, announcing they are boycotting because of the shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man, by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, John Bennett writes.
Mr Blake's family says he is paralysed. His shooting has set off several nights of protests in the Wisconsin town, where video shows he was shot multiple times in the back.
The NBA has yet to announce if the Bucks will forfeit the game, which was scheduled to tip off at 4:10 p.m. in Orlando, Florida. The league has embraced the "Black Lives Matter" movement, even putting those words on its courts inside its Covid-19 "bubble" at the Walt Disney World Resort.
The Bucks players' decision to protest the game has added meaning because they are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They have a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series over the Orlando Magic, the No. 8 seed.
Milwaukee also features one of the association's best and most popular players, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was just named the NBA's defensive player of the year after winning its regular season most valuable player honour last season.
Reporters at the Disney arena reported on Twitter game balls being put back in bags. NBA stars took to Twitter to support the Bucks' decision.
Story to come...
A 17-year-old Illinois resident has been arrested by police for first-degree murder after allegedly fatally shooting two Wisconsin protesters on Tuesday evening, Danielle Zoellner writes.
Kyle Rittenhouse of Antioch, Illinois, was charged in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and labelled as a "fugitive of justice", according to Lake County, Illinois Clerk of Courts public records first obtained by the Daily Dot.
The Antioch Police Department confirmed to The Independent that Rittenhouse "voluntarily surrendered" himself to the department on Wednesday morning after an arrest warrant was filed. The suspect allegedly fled Wisconsin for his home state following the shooting.
"(The suspect) fled the state of Wisconsin with the intent to avoid prosecution for that offence," according to the document.
"This morning Kenosha County authorities issued an arrest warrant for the individual responsible for the incident, charging him with First Degree Intentional Homicide," the Antioch Police Department said in a press release. "The suspect in this incident, a 17-year-old Antioch resident, is currently in custody of the Lake County Judicial System pending an extradition hearing to transfer custody from Illinois to Wisconsin."
Rittenhouse has been assigned a public defender and faces charges of "first degree intentional homicide". He is expected to appear in court on Friday.
In a video posted by a Daily Caller reporter, Rittenhouse was interviewed prior to the late-Tuesday evening shooting and was asked what his purpose was at the protest.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden released a video on Wednesday discussing Jacob Blake's shooting.
In the video, he said he "spoke to Jacob's mom and dad, sister, and other member of the family just a little bit earlier, and I told them justice must and will be done."
"You know, our hearts are with his family, especially his children," he added. "It's horrible what they saw watching their father get shot. Like Gianna Floyd, they are asking 'why, why daddy?'"
Mr Biden also addressed the violence, burning, and looting that has happened in Kenosha since Mr Blake was shot on Sunday.
"Burning down communities is not protest, it is needless violence. Violence that endangers lives, violence that guts businesses and shutters businesses ... that's wrong," he said.
"In the midst of this pain, the wisest words that I've heard spoken so far have come from Julia Jackson, Jacob's mother. She looked at the damage in her community and said, 'This doesn't reflect my son, or my family.'"
Listen to Mr Biden's full video here:
In a tweet, the Republican lawmaker accused the Democrats of doing "next to nothing" to stop the violence while stating that Donald Trump has "pledged to send whatever is needed to restore order".
The Antioch Police Department confirmed to The Independent that it was the arresting agent in Kyle Rittenhouse's arrest on Wednseday morning.
An arrest warrant was issued to the 17-year-old Antioch, Illinois' resident by the Kenosha County Police Department. The official with the Antioch Police Department told The Independent that Rittenhouse then voluntarily surrendered himself after the warrant was issued.
The department was responsible for handling the arrest before was transferred to the "Lake County Judicial System pending an extradition hearing to transfer custody from Illinois to Wisconsin."
The police chief said that the identity of all three victims will not be released yet as the investigation is ongoing.
He said that a 17-year-old was taken into custody in relation to the shootings but did not say if he was the only suspect.
Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, spoke to a Daily Caller reporter about his purpose at the Kenosha protests on Tuesday evening ahead of the shooting that occurred later that night.
In a video, Rittenhouse stood before the camera with a semi-automatic rifle slung across his chest.
"So people are getting injured and our job is to protect this business," Rittenhouse said. "And part of my job is to also help people. If there is somebody hurt I'm running into harms way. That's why I have my rifle because I need to protect myself obviously. I also have my med kit."
He is now suspected as the gunman related to the shooting that happened on Tuesday evening, which saw two people fatally shot and one person wounded.
Rittenhouse faces at least one charge of first-degree intentional homicide and is expected to appear in court on Friday.
Facebook has said it's investigating online activity surrounding Tuesday night's shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
A Facebook group using the name "Kenosha Guard" shared an event last night titled "Armed Citizens to Protect Our Lives and Property". The event reportedly had more than 2,600 responses before it was taken down by the social media site.
The social media site confirmed to CNN that it removed the group and event but did not state when.
A Facebook spokesperson told CNN that the group violated the site's policy on military organisations.
The Antioch Police Department has released a statement about the arrest that happened on Wednesday morning in Antioch, Illinois.
"This morning Kenosha County authorities issued an arrest warrant for the individual responsible for the incident, charging him with First Degree Intentional Homicide," the department said. "The suspect in this incident, a 17-year-old Antioch resident, is currently in custody of the Lake County Judicial System pending an extradition hearing to transfer custody from Illinois to Wisconsin."
The department's full statement here.
The National Guard will be deployed to Kenosha after Wisconsin agreed to federal help in quelling three nights of looting, arson and violence, Donald Trump announced on Wednesday.
The president said in a tweet that the federal law enforcement would be sent to the city after Governor Tony Evers requested federal assistance from the White House.
"We will NOT stand for looting, arson, violence, and lawlessness on American streets. My team just got off the phone with Governor Evers who agreed to accept federal assistance (Portland should do the same!)..." Mr Trump said.
Justin Vallejo with the breaking news:
Trump to send National Guard to Kenosha today after request from state governor
The National Guard will be deployed to Kenosha after Wisconsin agreed to federal help in quelling three nights of looting, arson and violence, Donald Trump announced on WednesdayA 17-year-old Illinois resident has been arrested and charged by police for first-degree murder after allegedly fatally shooting two Wisconsin protesters on Tuesday evening.
17-year-old arrested for murder and fleeing state after Kenosha shootings that left two dead
Kyle Rittenhouse of Antioch, Illinois, was charged with first-degree murder"I woke up this morning sick to my stomach, and angry that more life has been lost and injuries sustained while Republicans sit idle," she said in a statement. "This is what it looks like when my Republican colleagues fail to do their jobs."
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, called for a special session for lawmakers on Tuesday in a plea for them to pass proposed police legislation that would address use of force standards. A separate legislation would also ban the use of chokeholds.
"Exhale," said Republican state Senator Van Wanggaard. "Everyone should take a deep breath. ... We must let law and reason, not emotion, guide the next steps."
"People of colour are asked to 'exhale' or 'wait for an investigation' or participate in an empty task force while those in the Legislature while choose to ignore the recommendations," she said. "The question for us, Wisconsin, is when are we going to make Republicans do their jobs, or do we continue to sit idly by and watch this state burn to the f**king ground?"
Read her full statement here.
