Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Gravely will file his charges for the officer who shot the 29-year-old black man within the first two weeks of January, according to the agenda of Monday’s city council meeting, which unanimously approved the award of Mayor John Antaramian. emergency powers once the announcement is made.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced on Monday that at the request of local officials, he is mobilizing 500 National Guard troops prior to the decision.
“Our National Guard members will be on hand to support local first responders, ensure Kenoshans can gather safely and protect critical infrastructure where necessary,” Evers said in the statement.
Disturbing video of the incident sparked massive protests in Kenosha and in the US.
Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney representing Blake’s family, said police shot Blake after he tried to break up an argument between two women. Blake was getting into his car, where his three young sons were, when an officer grabbed his shirt and shot him at close range, Crump said.
Officers provided assistance to Blake before he was flown to a hospital in Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Criminal Investigation Department said.
Blake’s father, Jacob Blake Sr., on Monday called for charges against the officer while urging Kenosha to “get up and make some noise.”
He added: ‘Let’s be heard around the world. We are not going to stop in Kenosha. We’re going to Washington. We’re going to Nancy Pelosi’s office. We go to whoever will be in charge of the Senate. Because this needs to be federally heard, not just for my son, but for anyone who has faced police brutality – anyone. ‘
Blake’s uncle, Justin Blake, said his cousin has been working to recover from the incident and become “our new hero”.
“The way he takes this mental approach, the way he puts all his energy into his therapy, and the passion, if anyone could ever walk again, it would be my cousin,” said Justin Blake.
‘Different opinions and strong emotions’ around the decision
The city braced itself for the decision on the charges.
“What we do know is that regardless of the decision, people will have different opinions and strong emotions. That’s the same for everyone. Whether you agree or disagree, we ask that you express your views peacefully and lawfully,” wrote the officials.
“We will not tolerate the kind of violence we saw on the streets earlier this year – we cannot tolerate it, and we will take definitive measures to protect our residents and businesses.”
Meanwhile, Kyle Rittenhouse’s arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday.
Rittenhouse, 17, is accused of fatally shooting two men, Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, and wounding another, Gaige Grosskreutz, in protests after Blake’s shooting by police.
Rittenhouse is also charged with possession of a dangerous weapon while under the age of 18, a felony according to court records.
A Rittenhouse attorney, Mark Richards, argued that Rittenhouse was acting in self-defense at a preliminary hearing last month.
Lawyers for the Grosskreutz and Huber family announced on Sunday that they plan to file claims against Kenosha City and County, the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department, Police Chief Miskinis, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth and other employees, according to the notice to Kenosha City and County Clerks.
They are each seeking $ 10 million in damages for “willful acts and negligence,” said Grosskreutz’s attorney, Kimberly Motley.
CNN’s Raja Razek, Artemis Moshtaghian, Brad Parks Sara Sidner, Rebekah Riess and Eric Levenson contributed to this report.