Jacob Blake was armed with a KNIFE when cops shot him says Wisconsin AG

Jacob Blake, the black man shot in the back seven times in front of his three young children by Wisconsin police was armed with a knife, the Wisconsin Attorney General revealed.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice provided some of the first details surrounding the police shooting on Wednesday, revealing Blake had a knife and the name of the officer who opened fire.

Blake, a 29-year-old father of six, was shot multiple times in the back by Kenosha officers responding to a dispute at the scene on Sunday evening, sparking national outrage and heated protests.

Officers were called to the scene at the 2800 block of 40th Street in Kenosha on Sunday ‘after a female caller reported that her boyfriend was present and was not supposed to be on the premises.’

Officers tried to subdue him with a taser before opening fire. 

‘During the incident, officers attempted to arrest Jacob S. Blake…Law enforcement deployed a taser to attempt to stop Mr. Blake, however the taser was not successful in stopping Mr. Blake,’ officials said.

During an investigation Blake admitted that he had a knife and agents recovered it from the driver’s side floorboard of his vehicle after opening fire.

In the incident officers yelled for Blake to ‘drop the knife’ as they followed him around the car.

He opened his car door and appeared to lunge for something as a police officer, identified as Officer Rusten Sheskey, grabbed the back of his shirt and fired it into Blake’s back. 

Officials said Blake was either lunging for the knife on the floor board or it fell from his hand. 

Officer Sheskey was the only cop who opened fire at the scene.  

Officer Sheskey, who has been with the department for seven years, and all others officers involved in the shooting, have been placed on administrative leave during the investigation, officials said. 

Authorities noted that the Kenosha Police Department does not have body cameras, ‘therefore the officers were not wearing body cameras.’ 

An investigation into the case remains ongoing from the Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, according to authorities. The department aims to provide a report within 30 days, it said.