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Sep 6, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Jacob Blake says from hospital bed it "hurts to breathe" following shooting

Rebecca Falconer
A screenshot of Jacob Blake speaking from the hospital

A screenshot of Jacob Blake speaking from the hospital. Photo: Ben Crump/Twitter

Jacob Blake spoke from his hospital bed about being in constant pain after being shot multiple times by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in video shared by his attorney Ben Crump Saturday.

Details: In his first comments about his injuries since being left paralyzed by the waist down, Blake said, "I got staples in my back, staples in my damn stomach. ... Every twenty-four hours it's pain, nothing but pain.

  • "It hurts to breathe, it hurts to sleep, it hurts to move from side-to-side, it hurts to eat," he added.
  • "Please, I’m telling you, change your lives. Stick together, make some money, make everything easier for our people out there, man, because there’s so much time that’s been wasted."

Of note: Blake pleaded not guilty via video link on Friday to charges including sexual assault.

The big picture: Blake's Aug. 23 shooting sparked a wave of demonstrations across the U.S., with major sports games postponed following players' protests.

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