Pastor Jesse Jackson Sr. was Thursday in Kenosha, Wis., where he condemned “a system of racism in law enforcement” after last Sunday’s shooting by police in the shooting of Jacob Blake and a gunshot wound to two men at a subsequent protest this week.
“There is a system of racism in law enforcement and it is now time to tackle it,” Jackson told reporters at a news conference, according to Kenosha News.
“I want to make this point clear,” Jackson added. ‘There is a pattern of killing Black people. … We need to know that justice works for the people. “
KENOSHA POLICE ARRESTED 9 PEOPLE IN STATE CAR GAS MASKS, FIREWORKS
Jackson’s remarks came on the same day that authorities formally charged a 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse with murdering two people and injuring a third with a semi-automatic weapon during unrest in Kenosha late Tuesday night.
Rittenhouse could face up to life in prison if convicted on the most serious charge, first-degree premeditated murder, The Associated Press reported.
That unrest came in response to the shooting of Blake, who remained in hospital after being shot multiple times by a police officer on Sunday.
The police officer involved in the case has been placed on leave as the incident is being investigated.
Jackson called for a transparent and complete investigation into Blake’s shooting – and that all officers on the scene should be charged Sunday.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. addresses reporters in New Orleans, December 1, 2018. (Associated Press)
“We demand justice in this country,” Jackson said, according to Kenosha News. “The two [officers] who saw [Blake get shot] must also be charged. We need police, but not [police who] stand above the law. ”
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Kenosha police have been criticized not only for shooting Blake, but for interactions with armed civilians who appeared during protests in the city. Some officials were seen on video as they thanked armed citizens and threw bottles of water at them, The Associated Press reported.
Jackson, 78, has been a leading civil rights lawyer since the 1960s. South Carolina’s mother tongue ran for president as a Democrat in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow U.S. senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997.
