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Bucks Release Statement on Recent Police Shooting of Jacob Blake

The Milwaukee Bucks have released a statement regarding the recent shooting of Jacob Blake.

Ben Pickman

The Bucks released a statement regarding the recent shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old unarmed Black man who was shot multiple times by Kenosha, Wis. police on Sunday as he opened the door of a parked vehicle.

The team said: "The Bucks organization is praying for the recovery of Jacob Blake, who was shot multiple times in the back by a police officer at point blank range in Kenosha, Wisconsin yesterday. Our hearts go out to his family and friends.

"We stand firmly against reoccurring issues of excessive use of force and immediate escalation when engaging the black community.

"Our organization will continue to stand for all black lives as we demand accountability and systemic change on behalf of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Sylville Smith, Ernest Lacy, Dontre Hamilton, Tony Robinson, Joel Acevedo and countless other victims. We will work to enact policy change so these incidents no longer exist."

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is investigating the incident, which occurred Sunday evening. According to its statement early Monday morning, Blake was in "serious condition" in a Milwaukee hospital.

The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, according to the state DOJ's statement. 

The shooting Sunday comes weeks removed from countless large-scale protests against racism and police violence across the United States, which were largely prompted by the killing of George Floyd. Floyd, 46, was killed in late May after being violently apprehended by Minneapolis police. He was unarmed. 

In the wake of Sunday's shooting in Kenosha, athletes across the sports world weighed in on the incident. 

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Ben Pickman
BEN PICKMAN

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