Jacob Blake, a black man who was shot by a white police officer in Wisconsin in August, said during an interview on Thursday that he was carrying a knife when the incident occurred.
Blake, 29, told ABC’s “Good Morning America” program that he dropped a pocketknife while the police were trying to arrest him, and then he took it back.
“I realized I had dropped my knife, I had a small pocketknife, so I took it,” said Blake of his fight with Kenosha’s officer, who had hit him.
After that, Blake said he walked away from the cop and headed for the car door, where two of his children were sitting in the back seat.
“I shouldn’t have taken it … considering what was going on,” Blake said of his knife. “At that time, I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
Blake said he was prepared to surrender as soon as he put the knife in the vehicle.
Several media outlets, including the Washington Post, had previously characterized Blake as unarmed.
JACOB BLAKE SAYS HE WAS READY TO SURRENDER BEFORE SHOT
Officer Rusten Sheskey told investigators that he feared Blake would stab him, so he opened fire. Blake’s family lawyer Ben Crump, however, questioned whether Blake threatened Sheskey with a knife, saying “nowhere does the video show an extended knife in order to establish the necessary intention”.
Blake also denied on Thursday that he made a move directing the knife at Sheskey’s body.
Policemen were trying to arrest Blake over a pending warrant after being called on because of family problems.
Seven shots were fired, which ended up leaving Blake partially paralyzed.
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Kenosha exploded in violent protests for several nights after Blake was shot. Hundreds were arrested and several companies were destroyed. A Wisconsin prosecutor on January 5 refused to open charges against Sheskey, concluding that he could not refute the policeman’s claim that he acted in self-defense.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.