Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden spoke with Jacob Blake over the phone while he also met with members of his family, speaking with them for 90 minutes during his visit to Kenosha.
Speaking afterwards about the phone call, Biden said Blake, who was shot in the back seven times, has shown his strength of character.
“He talked about how nothing was going to defeat him. How whether he walked again or not, he was not going to give up,” Biden said.
On the meeting with Blake’s family, Biden said they had also shared their optimism at what the future holds.
“What I came away with was the overwhelming sense of resilience and optimism that they have about the kind of response they’re getting,” Biden said.
“His mom talked about — my wife asked to say a prayer. And his mom said a prayer. She said, ‘I’m praying for Jacob and I’m praying for the policeman as well. I’m praying that things change.’ ”
Biden’s actions were in sharp contrast to his opponent in November, President Trump, who also visited Kenosha on Tuesday but did not meet Mr Blake’s family, saying it was because they wanted lawyers present.
Blake’s attorney Ben Crump tweeted a statement saying that the meeting with Biden had been a “very engaging” 90-minute meeting.
“It was very obvious that Vice President Biden cared, as he extended to Jacob Jr. a sense of humanity, treating him as a person worthy of consideration and prayer,” Crump said.
