The family of Jacob Blake is hosting a gathering in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to the city.
The event, which will be held near the site where Blake was shot seven times in the back by a Kenosha police officer, will include a press conference with local officials and family representatives. The event will also include a community clean-up, a food drive, a healing circle, and a voter registration booth.
Several days after police officers shot Blake during an Aug. 23 altercation, protests in Kenosha grew violent. The city estimates that $2 million in property damages have been caused by looting and burning amid the unrest.
Last Tuesday, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse shot three protesters, two of them fatally, after he drove 20 miles to protect local businesses. Rittenhouse has been arrested in connection with the homicides; his lawyer says that Rittenhouse was shooting in self-defense.
In recent days, protests in Kenosha have been peaceful and without incident.
The event held by Blake's family comes hours before a visit to the city by President Donald Trump. Several Democratic politicians, including Kenosha's mayor and Wisconsin's governor, have asked Trump to reconsider, saying his presence could stoke more violence in the city.
Blake was shot during an altercation with police on Aug. 23. Police say they were responding to a call about a man at a party who "shouldn't have been there."
Police attempted to take Blake into custody but say he was non-compliant. Officers say they tried to use stun guns on Blake but could still not take him into custody.
Blake had previously told officers he had a knife in his vehicle. At one point during the altercation, as Blake approached his car, Officer Rusten Sheskey shot Blake in the back at least seven times. A knife was later found on the floorboard of the car.
Blake is still hospitalized and is paralyzed from the waist down. Sheskey has been placed on administrative leave but has not been charged with a crime.
