The Kenosha prosecutor who shot Jacob Blake seven times in a shooting that triggered a nationwide firestorm will not be prosecuted, the Kenosha County prosecutor announced Tuesday.
Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey, and other agents involved in the incident, will not be charged in the August 2020 shooting after a months-long incident captured on camera by bystanders, according to Kenosha County prosecutor Michael Graveley . Blake will not be charged either, Graveley added.
A federal investigation into civil rights allegations is ongoing.
“I think it’s very important that this conversation is a complicated conversation, that it is a real conversation, not a simplistic conversation,” Graveley said in explaining the decision.
The Blake family’s lawyer said they were “deeply disappointed” by the decision.
“We feel that this decision failed not only Jacob and his family, but also the community that protested and demanded justice,” attorney Ben Crump said in a statement. Agent Sheskey’s actions sparked outrage and advocacy across the country, but the prosecutor’s decision not to accuse the prosecutor who shot Jacob multiple times in the back, paralyzing him and further increasing confidence in our justice system. This sends the wrong message to police officers across the country. It says it’s okay for the police to abuse their power and recklessly shoot their gun, destroying the life of someone who was trying to protect his children. “
Graveley stressed that his decision was “Laser focused” on what would be allowed in a jury trial.
“It means this case is all about self-defense, and it can be proven that it doesn’t exist,” said Graveley. “It’s about Agent Sheskey’s perspective. What is his knowledge at all times, and what does a reasonable officer do at all times? Hardly any of those things are answered by the very disturbing video we’ve all seen. ‘
WARNING: The following video contains graphic content and may be disturbing to some viewers. NOTE: NBC 5 does not show when Jacob Blake is shot. The audio of the scene will play while the video is paused. Video posted to social media seems to show that police officers in Kenosha shoot seven times on the back of a black man …
In the shooting, Blake, who is Black, was shot in the back seven times after running away from Sheskey and two other officers who tried to arrest him. Blake was shot after opening the driver’s side door of an SUV and leaning in the car, and the shooting was captured on video from a cell phone.
Graveley and officials have said that at the time of the incident, Blake was armed with a knife and that Blake admitted to police that he had a knife, which was later removed from his vehicle.
Jacob Blake admits he has a knife. It’s not a cell phone. He admits it, ”said Graveley. “It’s a razor blade type, and we had a DCI analyst shape and resize it to fit the picture, and in fact it’s a match. We say with confidence based on his confession, Officers said it and the video. He’s clearly armed with a knife as he approaches the driver’s door. “
The shooting left Blake paralyzed from the waist down and sparked days of protests and demonstrations and several nights of looting and vandalism.
Crump said the Blake family plans to go ahead with a civil lawsuit.
“We urge Americans to continue to raise their voices during this emotional time and demand change in peaceful and positive ways,” the statement said.
The city and county have spent days preparing for the long-awaited decision, with activists and officials alike calling for peace and nonviolent responses to the announcement.
Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian was granted emergency powers by Kenosha City Council on Monday as officials braced for anticipated unrest following the decision.
Kenosha’s mayor and police have indicated their intention to impose curfews, designate demonstration areas, restrict city bus routes, close roads and impose other safety restrictions if necessary.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers also activated the state National Guard on Monday to provide assistance to local law enforcement in the event of unrest.
Activists have asked residents and protesters to avoid a repeat after the Blake decision, calling for non-violent demonstrations.
“We want everyone to come out and be as loud as they want, but we don’t want property destruction,” said activist Tanya McLean. ‘We are for nonviolence. Everything else is not acceptable to this community. “