Governor Tony Evers deployed Wisconsin’s National Guard after police shot a Black man in Kenosha, trying to quell more violence in a summer of nationwide protests against racial injustice. The Democratic governor also called for an Aug. 31 special session of the state legislature to consider bills on police accountability and transparency.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican, said the governor’s legislative proposals would dictate “liberal policies that will only deepen the divisions in our state.” Vos announced a task force focusing on racial disparities and police standards -- a proposal dismissed by Democrats. “Doing nothing is not an option,” said Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes.

Evers ordered about 125 troops to the city south of Milwaukee on Monday night, charging them with “guarding infrastructure and making sure our firefighters and others involved are protected.” The ACLU of Wisconsin opposed the Guard deployment, calling it “militarized policing.” Kenosha County authorities imposed a curfew from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Tuesday.

On Sunday night, protesters set cars on fire, smashed windows and clashed with officers in riot gear after the wounding of 29-year-old Jacob Blake, who was hospitalized in serious condition. He was shot, apparently in the back, as he leaned into his SUV while his three children sat in the vehicle.

Blake’s family has retained attorney Ben Crump, who also represents the family of George Floyd, whose killing in Minneapolis police custody in May ignited protests around the globe.

Blake’s shooting set off another wave of demonstrations just as Republicans renominated President Donald Trump, who has made criticism of protests against police shootings a centerpiece of his campaign.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in a statement denounced the use of “excessive force” by police and said the shooting “calls for an immediate, full and transparent investigation and the officers must be held accountable.”

Crump posted a video showing police officers with guns drawn following a Black man as he tries to enter the driver’s side of an SUV. One officer can be seen grabbing the man’s shirt and then firing at close range. The video doesn’t show what happened immediately before the shooting. Crump identified Blake as the victim.

Blake was taken to a hospital in Milwaukee where he was listed in “serious condition,” Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a Monday statement. Officers were responding to a reported domestic incident, Kaul said. The Division of Criminal Investigation of the state attorney general’s office is leading a probe into the incident, along with the Wisconsin State Patrol and Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office.

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