Editor's note: The video at the top is from Sept. 2020.
Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times in the back by a Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer, has been released from the hospital, according to his uncle and one of his attorneys.
Blake's uncle Justin Blake told The Associated Press that his nephew was discharged “about a week ago.” He declined to say be more specific about where Jacob was being treated, citing threats to the Blake family since the shooting.
“He's doing well," Justin Blake said. “He's getting mentally stronger and physically stronger. ... He's still paralyzed. He's entering therapy at a rehab center, trying to get his strength and body in whatever best condition that is to push forward.”
CNN first reported Blake's release, with attorney Patrick Cafferty saying he was being treated at a spinal injury center in Chicago. He declined to give more details and his office referred AP's calls to another law firm handling Blake's case that didn't immediately return a message.
Justin Blake said his nephew is an in-patient at the rehabilitation center.
Blake, who is Black, was shot in the back by a white police officer on Aug. 23 after walking away from the officer and two others who were trying to arrest him. The officer, Rusten Sheskey, opened fire after Blake opened his own SUV's driver-side door and leaned into the vehicle. The shooting was captured on video and posted online, sparking several nights of protests and unrest in Kenosha, a city of about 100,000 between Milwaukee and Chicago.
Sheskey and the other officers who were at the scene — Vincent Arenas and Brittany Meronek — were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. None of them have been charged.
The Kenosha police union has said that officers were dispatched on Aug. 23 because of a complaint that Blake was attempting to steal the caller’s keys and vehicle. Union attorney Brendan Matthews said officers were aware that Blake had an open warrant for felony sexual assault before they arrived.
Sheskey and the other officers who were at the scene were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. None of them have been charged.
Blake pleaded not guilty on Sept. 4 to charges accusing him of sexually assaulting a woman in May. A trial date was set for Nov. 9.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.