The Blake family s attorney said they were immensely disappointed by the decision.
“We feel this decision failed not only Jacob and his family, but the community that protested and demanded justice, Attorney Ben Crump said in a statement. “Officer Sheskey’s actions sparked outrage and advocacy throughout the country, but the district attorney’s decision not to charge the officer who shot Jacob in the back multiple times, leaving him paralyzed, further destroys trust in our justice system. This sends the wrong message to police officers throughout the country. It says it is OK for police to abuse their power and recklessly shoot their weapon, destroying the life of someone who was trying to protect his children.
KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) " A Wisconsin prosecutor declined Tuesday to file charges against a white police officer who shot a Black man in the back in Kenosha, concluding he couldn t disprove the officer s contention that he acted in self-defense because he feared the man would stab him. The decision, met with swift criticism from civil rights advocates and some public officials, threatened to reignite protests that rocked the city after the Aug. 23 shooting that left Jacob Blake paralyzed. Gov. Tony
A federal investigation on civil rights charges remains ongoing. WARNING: The following video contains graphic content and may be disturbing to some viewers. PLEASE NOTE: NBC 5 is not showing the moment Jacob Blake is shot. The audio of the scene will continue to play as the video pauses. Video posted on social media appears to show police officers in Kenosha shoot at a Black man’s back seven times.
“It’s very important to me that this conversation be a complicated conversation, that it be a real conversation, not a simplistic one, Graveley said in explaining the decision.
Crump said the Blake family plans to continue with a civil lawsuit.
Supporters for Jacob Blake march in Kenosha, Wis., on Monday. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
KENOSHA, Wis. (CN) A Wisconsin prosecutor announced Tuesday that none of the officers involved in the police shooting of a Black man in Kenosha last August will face criminal charges, prompting the community to brace for another round of protests.
Activists, policymakers and ordinary citizens alike awaited Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley’s decision for months since protests erupted after Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey shot Jacob Blake seven times on Aug. 23, 2020, leaving him paralyzed below the waist.
Blake, then 29, was getting into an SUV with his three kids in the backseat as Sheskey and two other officers, Rebecca Meronek and Vincent Arenas, responded to reports of a domestic dispute at the time he was shot, as captured by widely circulated cellphone video of the incident.