Jacob Blake: Police AVOID charges over Kenosha shooting

No charges will be filed against white police officer Rusten Sheskey, who shot black man Jacob Blake seven times and left him paralyzed, Kenosha County prosecutors announced Tuesday. 

‘No Kenosha law enforcement officer in this case will be charged with any criminal offense,’ Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley announced. 

He said no charges would be filed against the other two officers involved in the incident – Officers Vincent Arenas and Brittany Meronek – or Blake. He noted a separate federal civil rights investigation into the shooting is ongoing. 

On August 23 Sheskey, a seven-year veteran of the Kenosha Police Department, responded to a domestic incident in Kenosha, Wisconsin and shot Blake multiple times as he tried to get into his SUV as his three young children watched on from the back seat.

He has been left paralyzed and was discharged from the hospital in October. 

Graveley said no charges were filed because prosecutors could not disprove Sheskey’s claim of self-defense. He said it is ‘incontrovertible’ that Blake had a knife, citing how officers reported seeing a razor blade-type knife and Blake admitted to authorities he had a knife.  

The shooting triggered massive, outraged protests in the city decrying police brutality and demanding accountability.

Wisconsin had already started to brace for renewed protests ahead of the decision with Gov. Tony Evers mobilizing 500 National Guard troops to help Kenosha authorities, the county sheriff declaring a state of emergency, and Mayor John Antaramian was given power to enact a curfew.

On Tuesday before Graveley shared the announcement he pleaded for peace.

‘Rather than burning things down, can moments of tragedy like this be an opportunity to build things?’ Graveley said. 

At the lengthy press conference Graveley played a recording of Blake’s girlfriend’s 911 call to police, saying he had the keys to a rental car and was worried he would take it and crash it. 

When Sheskey arrived to the scene of the 911 call he saw Blake placing a child in the car saying: ‘I’m taking the kid and I’m taking the car.’ 

The cops then tried to take Blake to the ground and shock him with Tasers three times, but it had no effect, leading to the shooting.

Graveley said that Blake was shot four times in the back and three times in the side and Sheskey told investigators he fired until Blake dropped the knife then tried to give him medical aid. 

Sheskey told investigators he used deadly force because he was afraid of Blake and feared he was trying to flee the scene and kidnap a child in the backseat of the vehicle.   

Sheskey and the other officers who were at the scene in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave.  

Following the announcement, Jacob Blake’s attorneys Ben Crump, Patrick A. Salvi II and B’Ivory LaMarr released a statement condemning the decision. 

‘We are immensely disappointed in Kenosha District Attorney Michael Graveley’s decision not to charge the officers involved in this horrific shooting. We feel this decision failed not only Jacob and his family, but the community that protested and demanded justice,’ the statement shared with DailyMail.com said.

‘This sends the wrong message to police officers throughout the country. It says it is OK for police to abuse their power and recklessly shoot their weapon, destroying the life of someone who was trying to protect his children,’ it adds.

Blake’s family members vowed that they are ‘not backing down’ in their pursuit of justice in a press conference Tuesday afternoon after the DA’s decision was announced.  

Justin Blake, the 29-year-old’s uncle, said the lack of charges allows ‘police officers to rein down terror on our community’. 

‘This is going to impact this city, this state and the nation for many years to come unless the people rise up and do what they’re supposed to do,’ he said. 

‘Allow police officers to rein d
own terror on our community? It’s unjust. We’re going to unite our people from coast to coast until we get justice. We’re not backing down. We’ve got work to do.’

He urged people to take part in a ‘nonviolent’ uprising calling for justice for his nephew.

‘We, the Blake family, are asking this city, this county, this state and this nation to rise up in a non-violently… to let our friends and family know there’s a new sheriff in town and he’s wearing the colors of red, black and green,’ he said, in reference to the colors of the Black Flag of Liberation. 

He added that this is ‘about more than little Jacob’ and called for people to make ‘noise’.

‘I need a lot of noise. I need you to get in people’s face,’ he said. ‘Martin Luther King went to jail. John Lewis went to jail for it. Don’t be scared to go to jail.’

B’Ivory LaMarr, an attorney for the family, described the decision as ‘deeply disturbing’. 

‘Today the news that we have heard from the Kenosha District Attorney’s Office is very disturbing. We are immensely disappointed by that decision,’ LaMarr said. 

‘We believe there was more than sufficient evidence to find probable cause to charge officer Sheskey.  

‘We believe that there were certain standards and operating procedures that Officer Sheskey should have followed that were not followed. There was no de-escalation and we believe that the shooting an individual seven times when walking away from the officer was nothing less than intentional.’

LaMarr said the 20-second bystander video released online back in August should have been enough to bring charges against the officer.  

‘We believe that the DA’s office somehow believes that as we roll into 2021 that all of a sudden the country is legally blind or something,’ he said. 

‘We think that the 20 second video is very clear.

‘We don’t need a two hour explanation for what our eyes can see,’ he said, taking aim at Graveley’s long press conference. 

‘It takes 20 seconds to watch that video and find probable cause – it took them over  four months to find a reason to ignore it.’ 

He added: ‘There are three justice systems in America. There’s one for black and brown people, one for police officers and one for the rest of America.’ 

Blake’s family will pursue civil action, LaMarr said, as he vowed to ‘exercise every remedy that is available’ to get ‘justice and liberty for us all’.   

In sharing the highly-anticipated news, Graveley said how personally difficult the decision was. 

‘I feel in many ways completely inadequate for this moment. I have never in my life had a moment where I’ve had to contend with explicit or implicit bias based on my race. I have never had a moment in my life where I’ve had to fear for my safety either with police officers or people in authority,’ he said.

He noted that he never had to face police officers ‘knowing I could face armed persons who might try to end my life.’ 

The shooting was captured on video and circulated online, fueling massive protests that caused $50 million in damage to public and private property in Kenosha.

The Kenosha City Council held a meeting on Monday and agreed to grant Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian emergency powers as officials prepared for expected unrest following the DA’s decision.

In anticipation of the announcement many businesses were boarded up and some streets in Kenosha were closed. 

On Monday Blake’s father, Jacob Blake Sr, led a rally throughout Kenosha where he called for charges against Sheskey, urging the public to ‘stand up and make some noise.’

‘Let’s be heard around the world. We’re not going to stop in Kenosha. We’re headed to DC. We’re headed to Nancy Pelosi’s office. 

‘We’re headed to whoever is going to be in charge of the Senate. Because this has got to be federally heard, for not just my son, but for everybody who has suffered police brutality – everyone,’ he said.

Also on Tuesday, Kyle Rittenhouse, an 18-year-old from Illinois accused of shooting dead two protesters and injuring a third during demonstrations decrying the Blake shooting on August 25, pleaded not guilty to charges.

He entered his plea in a brief hearing conducted by teleconference.

He looked serious during his appearance, wearing a blue button down shirt, tie and black face mask, for the hearing from the office of his attorney Mark Richards.

Rittenhouse had traveled from his home in Antioch, Illinois to Kenosha and opened fire with an assault-style rifle during protests on August 25, killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz.  

Rittenhouse has argued he opened fired in self-defense, claiming he was protecting local businesses from the raucous protests.  

He faces seven charges: first degree intentional homicide in the death of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36; first degree reckless homicide of
Anthony Huber, 26, attempted first degree intentional homicide of Gaige Grosskreutz, 22, two counts of recklessly endangering safety for shots fired at others, being a minor in possession of a firearm and violation a curfew.