The Kenosha officer who shot Jacob Blake seven times in a firefight that sparked a firestorm across the country will not face criminal charges, the Kenosha County District Attorney announced on Tuesday.
Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey and other officers involved in the incident will not be charged in the August 2020 shooting after months of the incident, which was captured by passers-by, according to Kenosha County district attorney Michael Graveley. Blake also will not face charges, added Graveley.
A federal investigation into civil rights charges is ongoing.
“It is very important to me that this conversation is complicated, that it is a real conversation, not a simplistic one,” Graveley said in explaining the decision.
The Blake family lawyer said they were “hugely disappointed” by the decision.
“We feel that this decision failed not only with Jacob and his family, but with the community that protested and demanded justice,” said lawyer Ben Crump in a statement. “Officer Sheskey’s actions have generated outrage and defense across the country, but the prosecutor’s decision not to accuse the officer who shot Jacob in the back several times, leaving him paralyzed, further destroys confidence in our justice system. This sends a wrong message to police officers across the country. He says there is no problem if the police abuse their power and recklessly throw their weapon, destroying the life of someone who was trying to protect their children. “
Graveley emphasized that his decision was “laser focused” on what would be allowed in a jury trial.
“It means that this case is about self-defense and it can be proven that it does not exist,” said Graveley. “It’s about Officer Sheskey’s perspective. What is his knowledge at every moment, and what does a reasonable policeman do at every moment? Almost none of these things are answered by the deeply disturbing video we have all seen.”
WARNING: The following video contains graphic content and may be annoying to some viewers. WARNING: NBC 5 is not showing the moment when Jacob Blake is shot. Scene audio will continue to play while the video is paused. The video posted on social media appears to show police officers in Kenosha shooting a black man in the back seven times …
In the shooting, Blake, who is black, was shot in the back seven times after moving away from Sheskey and two other police officers who were trying to arrest him. Blake was shot after he opened the driver’s door of an SUV and leaned into the vehicle, and the shooting was captured on cell phone video.
Graveley and the authorities said Blake was armed with a knife at the time of the incident and that Blake admitted to the police that he had a knife, which was later recovered 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 knife and we asked an DCI analyst to take the shape and size to match the image and, in fact, it’s a combination. We say it confidently based on his admission, officials saying that and in the video, he is clearly armed with a knife when he approaches the driver’s door. “
The shooting left Blake paralyzed from the waist down and triggered days of protests and demonstrations and several nights of looting and vandalism.
Crump said the Blake family plans to continue civil proceedings.
“We urge Americans to continue to raise their voices and to demand changes in a peaceful and positive way during this emotional time,” says the statement.
The city and county are preparing days ahead of the highly anticipated decision, with activists and officials calling for peace and nonviolent responses to the announcement.
Kenosha’s mayor, John Antaramian, received emergency powers from the Kenosha City Council on Monday, as officials prepared for the unrest expected after the decision.
The mayor and the Kenosha police department have indicated that they plan to institute curfews if necessary, designate demonstration spaces, limit city bus routes, close roads and impose other safety restrictions if necessary.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers also activated the state’s National Guard on Monday to provide assistance to local authorities in the event of unrest.
Activists urged residents and protesters to avoid a repeat after Blake’s decision was handed down, calling for non-violent demonstrations.
“We want everyone to go out and talk as much as they want, but we don’t want to destroy property,” said activist Tanya McLean. “We are for non-violence. Anything else is not acceptable for this community. “