Jacob Blake has appeared publicly for the first time from his hospital bed since he was shot by police on Aug. 23.
According to CNN, Blake appeared for a court hearing via video from the hospital where he’s been recovering from the shooting that has resulted in his paralysis from the waist down.
Friday’s court hearing is unrelated to the police shooting. Blake’s attorney submitted a not guilty plea for charges including third-degree sexual assault, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct. As CNN reports, Blake spoke briefly with the judge regarding the charges during the course of the hearing.
The 29-year-old was previously in the intensive care unit, but his condition has reportedly improved and he was able to appear for the hearing. The judge approved a $10,000 signature bond for Blake, and a bail agreement was signed. He is currently scheduled to return to court on Oct. 21, and the case is expected to proceed to trial in November.
Blake was shot seven times in the back in Kenosha, Wisconsin by a police officer on Aug. 23. He was surrounded by a handful of armed officers and shot in front of his three children, 3, 5, and 8, as he entered the driver’s side door of his car. Footage of the incident quickly went viral, fueling a sustained wave of protests against police during the summer of 2020.
Unlike so many others we've lost to racist police violence, Blake miraculously survived. He has yet to speak publicly about the shooting, but his family and loved ones have spoken out against the Kenosha Police Department demanding justice.
"At no point in time was Jacob's momentum towards the officers. And what you see is that the officer is pulling on his shirt and then fires those seven bullets into Jacob's back,” Patrick Salvi Jr., an attorney for the family, said earlier this week. “If he was concerned that Jacob had a knife, why wouldn't he back away?"
Thus far, the only action taken against the officers involved in the incident has been administrative leave placement.
See a snippet from Blake's video court hearing below.
Blake also sent a motivating message to all his supporters. "There's a lot more life to live," he says. "Change y’all lives out there and stick together."
