The now- paralyzed man at the center of the latest anti-racial protests in the United States, Jacob Blake has pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal trespass and sexual assault.
The twenty- nine year old, who is paralyzed after being shot seven times in the back during an encounter with police, took his plea from the Kenosha, Wisconsin hospital where he has been, since being shot almost two weeks ago.
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Kenosha County attorney has said Blake was being sought for the incident for which he has now entered a plea, prior to the near-fatal shooting incident near home to which police were called to a domestic incident.
On footage shot by a neighbour across the street, Blake was seen walking away from three officers- two of whom had their guns pointed at him.
As he opened the door of his vehicle and reached in, the officer closest to him grabbed his top and began shooting.
The incident led to violent demostrations across Kenosha, and rekindled a fresh wave of protests in some other American cities over the maltreatment of black suspects by white police officers- just months after the death of George Floyd in the hands of a Minneapolis white police officer, Derek Chauvin.
Source BBC