Jacob Blake's mother says 'we need healing' in a powerful speech about her son: 'America is great when we behave greatly'

• Jacob Blake's mother, Julia Jackson, gave a powerful speech Tuesday, calling for national unity and healing.
• "Everybody, let's use our hearts, our love, and our intelligence to work together to show the rest of the world how humans are supposed to treat each other," Jackson said. "America is great when we behave greatly."
• Blake has been in the hospital since Sunday after being shot at least seven times in the back by Wisconsin police officers. His father revealed Blake is now paralyzed from the waist down, and it's unclear what his long-term prognosis will be.

The mother of Jacob Blake, the Black man shot at least seven times in the back by Wisconsin police, delivered a powerful speech to reporters Tuesday, in which she called for healing and asked people to pray for her seriously injured son.

"Citizens, police officers, firemen, clergy, politicians, do Jacob justice on this level and examine your hearts. We need healing," Julia Jackson said.

"As I pray for my son's healing physically and emotionally and spiritually, I also have been praying, even before this healing, of our country."

Videos posted of the altercation between Blake and Kenosha, Wisconsin, law enforcement Sunday showed Blake walking away from two officers. In one video, an officer can be seen pointing a gun directly at Blake while extending his arm to grab Blake's T-shirt from behind. Seconds later, Blake appeared to attempt to get into his car when the officers begin to shoot, firing seven consecutive rounds while Blake had his back turned to them.

It is still unclear what happened in the minutes before the altercation began. Both officers involved in the incident are on administrative leave, according to various news reports, but neither has yet been identified by authorities.

Protests against police brutality have erupted in Wisconsin following the shooting. In some cases, demonstrators set fire to cars and buildings, while police officers deployed tear gas and rubber bullets.

Blake remains in the hospital, where he's been undergoing numerous surgeries, his family attorney Ben Crump told reporters Tuesday.

The bullets "severed his spinal cord," Crump said, adding that some of Blake's verterbrae were shattered in the shooting. His father, Jacob Blake, Sr., told the Chicago Sun-Times that his son is paralyzed from the waist down, and doctors aren't yet sure whether that will be more permanent.

Crump said in the press conference that it was difficult for Jackson to obtain permission from the hospital to view her son.

Jackson, speaking about her interaction with Blake upon her visit, said she believes Blake is not yet aware "what happened at this point."

"I don't think he's there yet," she added.

But Jackson said she's sure Blake would be "unpleased" if he knew that some demonstrations and protests have been marked by violence.

Citing what she believed would be Blake's feelings about the protests, Jackson in her speech, characterized by powerful emotions and eliciting at times stunning silence from the crowd of reporters who listened on, called for the nation to begin a healing process.

"We are the United States. Have we been united?" she asked. "To all of the police officers, I'm praying for you and your families. To all of the citizens, my Black and brown sisters and brothers, I'm praying for you. I believe you are an intelligent being just like the rest of us. Everybody, let's use our hearts, our love, and our intelligence to work together to show the rest of the world how humans are supposed to treat each other. America is great when we behave greatly."