Jacob Blake to spend holidays with family in Illinois amid painful recovery
His uncle, Justin Blake says the family is happy to spend Kwanzaa together through their loved one's recovery.
Jacob Blake ‘s family has provided an pre-holiday update on his condition.
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According to TMZ, Blake will spend the holiday season in Illinois with his family as he continues to recover from his injuries. His uncle, Justin Blake shared the update with the outlet saying the family is overjoyed that Jacob is able to be home for their Kwanzaa celebration. Jacob has been in Illinois for a little over a month, continuing the spinal cord rehabilitation treatment he’s needed since his release from the hospital in October.
His uncle confirms that his road to recovery has not been easy. As theGrio reported, in August, Blake was shot seven times by Kenosha, Wisconsin police officer Rusten Sheskey as he turned toward the driver’s door of his car with his children, ages 3, 5, and 8, inside. Sheskey was placed on administrative leave after the shooting.
The incident was captured on video and broadcast to the world, sparking protests and a sports boycott spearheaded by members of the Milwaukee Bucks who play 45 minutes away. After the shooting, Blake was left paralyzed from the waist down. He shared a video from his hospital bed about the severity of his injuries, according to theGrio.
“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 remarked. “I got staples in my back, staples in my damn stomach. You don’t want to have to deal with this.”
His uncle informed TMZ that his nephew’s recovery is still painful, though he has regained some upper body strength and continues to adjust to his new reality with the support of his family.
According to Fox 6, Blake’s family and activists held a vigil in front of the courthouse in Kenosha on Dec. 17. The district attorney has not yet announced whether or not officer Sheskey will face charges.
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“His attitude is on top of the world. His body just needs to catch up with him. There’s no question that he’s still paralyzed at this point,” said Justin Blake told Fox.
According to theGrio, Attorney General William Barr said Blake’s shooting was justified. He compared the incident to the death of George Floyd who died at the hands of police officers.
““Floyd was already subdued, incapacitated in handcuffs and was not armed,” Barr responded, “In the Jacob [Blake] case, he was in the midst of committing a felony, and he was armed. So, that’s a big difference.”
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