DENVER — Hundreds gathered at Manual High School Monday evening to pray for Jacob Blake. Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot in the back by white police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He remains in critical condition.
"You can not justify shooting somebody in the back at point blank range," said State Representative James Coleman.
Video of Blake's shooting created outrage across the nation. The video showed Blake walking around a car his car, opening his driver side door, reaching into the car and then shot multiple times in the back by officers. Blake's children were in the car.
"We shouldn’t have to gather like this again," said Denver Public Schools Board Director Tay Anderson.
Anderson was one of the organizers of the event that last about two hours. The event comes a year to the day Elijah McClain encountered Aurora police officers as he walked home from a convenience store. He too, was unarmed.
"Elijah was 23, my only son is 23 and as I’ve said this before and it remains the case, I’m so glad you don’t know my son's name," said abolitionist Elisabeth Epps.