Breaking Law: Jacob Blake's Actions Examined

On August 23, 2020, Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot and seriously injured by police officer Rusten Sheskey in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The incident occurred during an attempted arrest of Blake, who had a warrant out for his arrest on charges of third-degree felony sexual assault, trespassing, and disorderly conduct for domestic abuse. While the details of the incident are disputed, with questions arising over the level of force used and Blake's actions prior to the shooting, the shooting has sparked protests and discussions about police brutality and racial injustice.

Was Jacob Blake armed?

On August 23, 2020, Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot and seriously injured by police officer Rusten Sheskey in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Sheskey shot Blake four times in the back and three times in the side. Blake had a warrant out for his arrest based on charges of third-degree felony sexual assault, trespassing, and disorderly conduct for domestic abuse.

Sheskey stated that he believed he was about to be stabbed, as Blake was holding a knife. The police union asserted that Blake was armed with a knife in his left hand, and "forcefully fought with the officers, including putting one of [them] in a headlock", while ignoring orders to drop the knife. A bystander who recorded the incident, however, stated that they "didn't see any weapons in his hands; he wasn't being violent".

An investigation by the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation found that Blake had admitted to holding a knife and that statements from officers and witnesses indicated that Blake had turned toward Sheskey with the knife immediately before the shooting. According to Blake, he intended to put the knife in the SUV and then lie on the ground to submit to the police officers. He denied having the intention to use it.

In January 2021, Kenosha County prosecutors announced that the officers involved in the shooting would not be charged, and Sheskey returned to regular police duty in April 2021. In October 2021, the US Department of Justice announced it would not be bringing civil rights charges against Sheskey, citing insufficient evidence that he willfully violated federal civil rights statutes.

Did Jacob Blake have a criminal record?

On August 23, 2020, Jacob S. Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot and seriously injured by police officer Rusten Sheskey in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Blake had a warrant for his arrest from July, based on charges of third-degree felony sexual assault, trespassing, and disorderly conduct for domestic abuse. The woman who called 911 on August 23 to report that Blake had stolen her keys was the same woman who had previously filed the criminal complaint alleging that Blake had sexually assaulted her.

Blake was flown to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, where he was initially handcuffed to his hospital bed and guarded by two officers due to an outstanding warrant. He suffered a gunshot wound to one arm and damage to his stomach, kidney, and liver; he had to have most of his small intestines and colon removed. As a result of the shooting, Blake was paralyzed from the waist down.

In November 2020, Blake reached a deal with the prosecution where the charges of sexual assault were dropped in return for his pleading guilty to two charges of misdemeanour disorderly conduct and domestic abuse, for which he was sentenced to two years of probation.

In October 2021, the US Department of Justice announced it would not be bringing civil rights charges against Sheskey, citing insufficient evidence that proves the officer willfully violated federal civil rights statutes.

Did Jacob Blake have a warrant out for his arrest?

On August 23, 2020, Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot and seriously injured by police officer Rusten Sheskey in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Sheskey shot Blake seven times—four times in the back and three times in the side. The shooting occurred after officers responded to a report of a domestic dispute and attempted to detain Blake, who had a warrant out for his arrest.

The warrant for Blake's arrest was issued in July 2020, based on charges of third-degree felony sexual assault, trespassing, and disorderly conduct for domestic abuse. The charges stemmed from an incident in May 2020, in which Blake was accused of breaking into the home of a woman he knew and sexually assaulting her. The woman, who is only identified by her initials in the paperwork, reported that Blake had used his finger to sexually assault her and that he had sniffed his finger afterward, making a comment that implied she had been with other men.

The Kenosha Police Department confirmed that the officers dispatched on August 23 were aware of the pending warrant for Blake's arrest before they arrived on the scene. Dispatch records indicate that officers were informed of a "wanted" alert for someone at Blake's address.

Following the shooting, Blake was flown to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, where he was initially handcuffed to his hospital bed and guarded by two officers due to the outstanding warrant. The handcuffs were later removed, and the guards were dismissed after Blake posted bond.

In November 2020, Blake reached a deal with prosecutors in which the charges of sexual assault were dropped in exchange for his pleading guilty to two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and domestic abuse. He was sentenced to two years of probation.

Did the police use excessive force?

On August 23, 2020, 29-year-old Jacob S. Blake, a Black man, was shot and seriously injured by police officer Rusten Sheskey in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Sheskey shot Blake in the back four times and the side three times. Blake had a warrant for his arrest from July, based on charges of third-degree felony sexual assault and trespassing and disorderly conduct for domestic abuse in May.

Sheskey and two other Kenosha officers were trying to arrest Blake on an outstanding warrant when a pocketknife fell from his pants during a scuffle. Blake said he picked it up before heading to a vehicle to drive away with two of his children in the back seat. He said he was prepared to surrender once he put the knife in the vehicle. Sheskey told investigators that he feared for his own safety so he opened fire. A Wisconsin prosecutor declined to file criminal charges against Sheskey, concluding he couldn't disprove the officer's contention that he acted in self-defence because he thought Blake would stab him.

Blake's attorneys disputed this version of events, calling it "overblown", and saying that the police officers were the aggressors and immediately became physical with Blake upon arriving at the scene. They noted that Blake made no physical or verbal threats towards any officer and attempted to disengage by walking away from them. They also noted that at the time Sheskey began firing, several women and a toddler were standing in the vicinity, and Blake's two children were sitting just feet away in the back seat.

The U.N. human rights office said the images of the shooting of Blake appeared to show that the police officer had used "excessive" force that was likely discriminatory in nature. Rupert Colville, spokesman for the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that "from the images available that we've seen at this point, the police appear to have used force against Jacob Blake that would seem to be excessive". He added that the use of force did not appear to comply with international standards.

Blake filed a civil lawsuit against Sheskey, accusing the officer of excessive force. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

Did Jacob Blake's civil rights get violated?

On August 23, 2020, Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot and seriously injured by police officer Rusten Sheskey in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Sheskey shot Blake seven times—four times in the back and three times in the side. This incident has brought up questions about whether Blake's civil rights were violated.

At the time of the shooting, Blake had a warrant out for his arrest on charges of third-degree felony sexual assault, trespassing, and disorderly conduct for domestic abuse. The Kenosha police were responding to a 911 call about a "domestic incident" and were aware of the pending warrant for Blake's arrest. When Blake attempted to get into his SUV, Sheskey fired his gun towards his back. An unfolded knife was found on the driver's side floorboard of Blake's vehicle.

Blake's attorneys disputed the police's version of events, claiming that the officers were the aggressors and immediately became physical with Blake upon arriving at the scene. They argued that Sheskey used excessive and unnecessary force and filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against him. However, Sheskey's attorney claimed that he was acting in self-defense because Blake was armed with a knife.

In January 2021, it was announced that the officers involved in the shooting would not be charged, and Sheskey returned to regular police duty in April 2021. The US Department of Justice also decided not to bring civil rights charges against Sheskey in October 2021, citing insufficient evidence.

While the legal system did not find that Blake's civil rights were violated, the shooting sparked widespread protests and unrest, with people questioning the use of force by the police and demanding justice for Blake. The incident has also led to a broader discussion about police brutality and racial injustice in the United States. Blake's family has continued to advocate for police reform and push for change to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

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