Jacob Blake has made his first “public appearance” via video message. This is the first time he has spoken out since he was shot by a police officer in the back seven times.
The video was shared by the family attorney Ben Crump on Twitter and it shows Blake in his hospital bed.
“There’s a lot more life to live out there. Your life, and not just your life, your legs . . . can be taken from you like this,” he said.
READ MORE: Debunking the internet lies about Jacob Blake following Kenosha shooting
“Every 24 hours is pain; it’s nothing but pain. It hurts to breathe. It hurts to sleep. It hurts to move from side to side. It hurts to eat,” he continued.
Since being shot in Kenosha, Wisconsin, by Officer Rusten Sheskey, who was placed on administrative leave after the incident, Blake has been paralyzed from the waist down.
“I got staples in my back, staples in my damn stomach. You don’t want to have to deal with this,” he continued.
Though many in the comment section supported his message, a number of commenters brought up sexual assault allegations, to which Blake pleaded not guilty on Friday via videoconference, according to NBC News.
As theGrio previously reported, Blake got shot while his back was turned, facing the driver’s door of his car with his children, ages 3, 5, and 8, inside.
After witnessing the shooting, Blake’s family says his children are in need of therapy, theGrio reported.
READ MORE: Jacob Blake handcuffed to hospital bed despite being paralyzed
The police were called in to settle a domestic complaint, but according to Patrick Cafferty, Blake’s attorney on his domestic violence-related charge, there was no outstanding warrant for the incident.
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