Donald Trump has said he will not meet with the family of Jacob Blake because it is "inappropriate" for the family to have involved lawyers.
Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man, was shot multiple times in the back by officers in Wisconsin. Mr Blake was left paralysed and "fighting for his life," his family and lawyers have said.
Mr Trump is due to visit on Kenosha today, but the US President told reporters on Monday that he will not meet with the family because of their desire to have lawyers included in the meeting.
"I thought it would be better not to do anything where there were lawyers involved," said Mr Trump.
"They wanted me to speak. They wanted to have lawyers involved and I thought that was inappropriate, so I didn't do that. But I did speak with the pastor of the family."
Wisconsin, Kenosha: Jacob Blake Protests - In pictures
Speaking about holding a phone conversation with the family, Mr Trump added: "I may at some point do that, but they did have a lawyer that wanted to be on the phone and I said no. That's inappropriate, but I did just give my best regards."
Mr Blake's father, Jacob Blake Senior told CNN the family does not have a pastor.
"I'm not going to play politics. This is my son's life we're talking about," he said.
Jacob Blake's uncle, James Blake, added that Mr Blake Sr has "no interest in speaking with President Trump".
"President Trump is a racist who stokes racial tensions," he said. "He has been stirring racial tensions since he got in the White House.
"Why, as Jacob's uncle, would I want to talk to him? Our focus is on Jacob and healing the community."
Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the Blake family, has said it is routine practice for his clients to have legal counsel with them when they speak to someone in the Government.
Speaking on CNN's The Situation Room, Mr Crump said his clients have adopted the same practice when speaking with Barack Obama during his presidency and with former Vice President Joe Biden.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told CNN: "Currently the plans are to meet with local law enforcement and some business owners, and he'll survey the damage. But there will be more detailed plans forthcoming when they're announced."
The shooting has sparked a wave of protests against police brutality in Kenosha, resulting in the deployment of the National Guard to quell demonstrations that have resulted in some looting and vandalism.
It comes as of Mr Trump’s supporters was shot at a demonstration in Portland, Oregon, prompting multiple tweets from Mr Trump himself, including one late on Sunday erroneously accusing Mr Biden of failing to criticise the “agitators” at the protests.
During a third night of unrest, Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, allegedly shot three protesters, two fatally, with an assault rifle.
Mr Trump's rival for the presidency, Joe Biden, denounced the violence on both sides and challenged Mr Trump to do the same.
Instead, Mr Trump defended the actions of Mr Rittenhouse. He said the accused gunman was trying to get away and would have been killed by demonstrators if he had not opened fire.
"He was trying to get away from them ... And then he fell and then they very violently attacked him," Mr Trump said at a briefing on Monday evening.
"I guess he was in very big trouble ... He probably would have been killed."
The president said on Twitter on Monday: “The Radical Left Mayors & Governors of Cities where this crazy violence is taking place have lost control of their ‘Movement.’ It wasn’t supposed to be like this, but the Anarchists & Agitators got carried away and don’t listen anymore – even forced Slow Joe out of basement!”
In Pittsburgh, Mr Biden hit back and said of Mr Trump: “He may believe mouthing the words law and order makes him strong, but his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows you how weak he is.”