Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man shot by Wisconsin police last month, recorded a message from his hospital bed over the weekend urging for unity and appreciation of life

The message, posted on Saturday by Blake’s attorney Benjamin Crump, is the 29-year-old’s second appearance since being admitted to the hospital for the police assault, NPR reports. Blake said he hopes all members of his community can learn from his harrowing experience.

"I just want to say, man, to all the young cats out there and even the older ones, older than me, there's a lot more life to live out here, man. Your life," Blake said. "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."

Blake was paralyzed from the waist down after he was shot seven times in front of his three children by Kenosha police on August 23, Blavity previously reported.

He shared the agony his body had been in from the shooting. 

"Every 24 hours there's pain," Blake said. "It hurts to breathe. It hurts to sleep. It hurts to move from side to side. It hurts to eat."

On Friday, Blake pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in a virtual hearing during his first appearance since the shooting. While laying in bed, he wore a blue dress shirt and a tie to deny charges of third-degree sexual assault, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, per CNN.

According to KIRO 7, officer Rusten Sheskey has been designated for administrative leave pending an investigation. The Department of Justice is also launching a civil rights investigation into the case, and the Blake family has hired Crump to pursue a civil suit against the police department.

Since Blake’s shooting, protests against police brutality have ignited across the city. The protests turned deadly when two demonstrators were shot and killed and a third was injured on the night of Aug. 25, The Washington Post reports.

As Blavity previously reported, Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Antioch, Illinois, has been charged in relation to the shooting. The investigation is still pending.

ben crumpJacob BlakeKenosha-WisconsinPolice brutality