While President Donald Trump ignored requests by Wisconsin officials to forego a visit Tuesday to Kenosha where Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by police last month, Blake’s family likewise ignored the president’s visit.
In a call for justice, the family opted instead to attend a community celebration that included a voter registration drive, following an outburst of violent protests that erupted shortly after the Aug. 23 shooting that left Blake, 29, paralyzed from the waist down.
“Whatever his motive is, we’re not engaging. We’re focused on getting justice for little Jake, helping Kenosha get over this horrendous act in their backyard. That’s why we’re here today,” Blake’s uncle, Justin Blake, told a local ABC News affiliate, MSN reported.
During his visit, Trump preferred to tour violence-stricken areas of Wisconsin, rather than dialogue with residents on how to establish unity over the incident that triggered outrage across the country.