“The chief of police needs to resign, and so does the sheriff,” said Kejuan Goldsmith, a Black activist leader who has attended so many marches that his voice has grown hoarse.
In an email, Mayor John Antaramian reiterated his support for Daniel Miskinis, the police chief, and David Beth, the sheriff.
“Regarding some of the larger systemic issues in the city, I think the events of the past few days provide us with an opportunity to re-examine many aspects of our community as we look for ways to rebuild a Kenosha that provides a bright future for all of our citizens,” he said.
Mr. Blake, whose legs have been paralyzed since he was shot repeatedly in the back by a Kenosha police officer in August, spoke out publicly for the first time on Saturday. In a video from his hospital bed, Mr. Blake urged people to come together, respect the preciousness of life and work for positive change.
“I’d just like to say, man, to all you young cats out there, and even the older ones, older than me, there’s a lot more life to live out here, man,” he said. “Your life, and not only just your life — your legs, something you need to move around and move forward in life, can be taken from you like this, man,” snapping his fingers for emphasis.
He warned of the horrific consequences of the gunshot injuries he suffered, which had left him in constant pain. “It hurts to breathe, it hurts to sleep, it hurts to move from side to side, it hurts to eat,” he said. “Please, I’m telling you, change your lives out there. Stick together, make some money, make everything easier for our people out here, man, because there’s so much time that has been wasted.”
His video message was posted on Twitter by Ben Crump, a lawyer representing him and his family.
In interviews across the city, residents said they were disturbed by the shooting of Mr. Blake and agreed that it would be a long time before there could be a recovery.