LIVE: Kenosha Protesters Rally After Wisconsin Officer Avoids Charges in Jacob Blake Shooting
Published Date: 1/6/2021
Source: Bloomberg Quicktake: Now
(Jan. 5) The Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer who shot Jacob Blake in the back and side seven times won’t face criminal charges, District Attorney Michael Graveley said. Prosecutors would have insufficient admissible evidence to secure a guilty verdict against Kenosha officer Rusten Sheskey, Graveley said at a Tuesday news conference. Instead, an investigation showed the shooting occurred during a suspected domestic-abuse scene and involved a man who at first resisted arrest and then tried to stab an officer, Graveley said. “If you do not have a case you can prove beyond a reasonable doubt as you’re going to hear me talk about, then you’re ethically obligated not to charge such a case,” Graveley said. “The question to a jury would be did Officer Sheskey reasonably believe that the shooting at Jacob Blake was necessary to prevent being stabbed by him or necessary to prevent someone else from being in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm.” Sheskey repeatedly shot Blake on Aug. 23 as Blake tried to enter a vehicle with his children inside, after unsuccessful attempts to arrest him, according to a report released Tuesday by Graveley’s office. Police had been called to the scene by a woman who reported that Blake, whom she referred to as her boyfriend, wasn’t permitted at her residence. Blake was the subject of a felony sexual-assault warrant at the time of the shooting, Graveley said. Federal prosecutors said their separate civil-rights investigation of the Blake shooting is continuing. According to Graveley, Sheskey arrived at the scene knowing about the warrant for Blake’s arrest and encountered a situation with all the signs of a domestic-abuse case. He and another officer tried several times to restrain and arrest Blake, including firing a Tazer at him three times, Graveley said. Blake admitted he resisted arrest, the district attorney said. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world. To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/qt/live, or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app. Connect with us on… YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Bloomberg Breaking News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BloombergQuickTakeNews Twitter: https://twitter.com/quicktake Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quicktake Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quicktake