Jacob Blake Shares Powerful, Emotional Message After Shooting: 'Every 24 Hours, It's Pain'

Jacob Blake, the Black man whose shooting by a White police officer last month in Wisconsin triggered widespread protests on racial justice and police abuses, spoke from his hospital bed Sunday to urge people, especially Blacks, to "change our lives" and "stick together."

Blake is paralyzed from the waist down after having been shot seven times in the back at point-blank range by officer Rusten Sheskey of the Kenosha Police Department on Aug. 23. He's been at the Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa since then; Sheskey has not been arrested but has been suspended from his job.

In a video posted on Twitter and other social media sites and released by Blake's lawyer Benjamin Crump early morning Sunday, Blake is seen talking calmly about his condition, the pain he has to endure, and appealing to the people protesting over the incident, but not about the shooting or officer Sheskey.

He starts by addressing the young and old "cats" out there and goes on to tell them "there's a lot more life to live out here," and to be thankful they still have their legs to move around.

"There's a lot more life to live out here," he said. "Your life, and not only just your life, your legs -- something that you need to move around and move forward in life -- can be taken from you like this," he said, snapping his fingers.

Talking about his current condition, Blake said, "I got staples in my back, staples in my damned stomach. You do not want to deal with this sh*t, man."

And added that the pain from his wounds never stops. "Every 24 hours, it's pain. It hurts to breathe. It hurts to sleep. It hurts to move from side to side. It hurts to eat."

He ended his short talk with an appeal.

"Please, I'm telling you, change our lives out there. Stick togehter. Make some money. Make it easier for our people out here because so much time has been wasted."

Up until last week, Blake was chained to his hospital bed by a manacle on one of his ankles and guarded by two police officers. The ankle chain was removed after Blake's family posted bond on another charge. The officers guarding him were also removed.

It was later revealed that charge stemmed from an outstanding arrest warrant on charges of sexual assault, trespassing and disorderly conduct relating to a criminal complaint filed in July.

Sheskey's shooting of Blake ignited nationwide protests against rampant police brutality and systemic racism in the United States. These new protests are taking place alongside protests over the murder on May 25 of George Floyd, also Black, by a White police officer of the Minneapolis Police Department.