MILWAUKEE — Authorities have removed the handcuffs that restrained Jacob Blake to his hospital bed and have vacated a felony arrest warrant on him Friday.
Blake's local attorney, Patrick Cafferty, confirms to TMJ4 that the Kenosha County District Attorney assisted the process of removing the handcuffs on Blake, who was shot seven times in the back by a Kenosha police officer last weekend.
Blake's family members say Blake remains in the hospital and is fighting for his life. He also remains paralyzed from the waist down, at least temporarily.
The Kenosha police officers and Kenosha County deputies who were standing guard outside Blake's hospital room have since left, according to Cafferty and the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office.
Cafferty also says that domestic violence charges filed last July are still pending. $500 cash bond was posted in relation to the July charges, according to Cafferty, which enables his release when he is healthy enough to leave the hospital bed.
MORE COVERAGE:
- Fiance Says Jacob Blake Was Shot In Front Of His Children
- 17-year-old charged in Kenosha shootings that killed two protesters
- Civil rights activists call arrest of Jacob Blake and Kyle Rittenhouse a 'start double standard'
The Kenosha County Sheriff's Office said in a statement: "MCSO worked very closely with the hospital and Mr. Blake’s legal team to ensure a safe and dignified environment for Mr. Blake, consistent with best law enforcement and hospital practices for security and visitation."
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Jacob Blake, said in a statement:
“We have learned today that the warrants for Jacob Blake were vacated, although the charges against him are still pending. Fortunately, a man who is paralyzed and fighting for his life after being shot seven times in the back, will no longer have to deal with the pain of having his ankles and wrist shackled and the traumatic stress of being under armed guard.”
In an interview with CNN on Friday, Blake's father said it "bothered" him that his son was shackled in "cold steel" despite his condition.
"He can't get up. He can't get up if he wanted to," Blake Sr. said. "So, that's a little overkill to have him shackled to the bed. That makes no sense to me."
While police have not announced formal charges against Blake or said why they attempted to arrest him, they've claimed that officers had been called to his girlfriend's house because he wasn't "supposed to be there." Police have also said that Blake admitted he was in possession of a knife, which was later found in his car.
Throughout the country, it's standard procedure for police to shackle a suspect to a hospital bed if that person is under arrest.
Blake's father also told CNN that his son was "hallucinating" when he went to visit.
"He grabbed my hand and began to weep and he told me that he was hallucinating. And then he said, 'I love you, dad. Daddy, I love you.,'" Blake said. "His next question was, 'Why'd they shoot me so many times?' I said, 'Baby, they weren't supposed to shoot you at all.'"
