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The Justice Department will not prosecute federal civil rights violation charges against the Wisconsin police officer who shot Jacob Blake last summer, which resulted in days of violent riots where two people were killed.
Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey shot Blake, 30, on August 23, 2020 during a nationwide response call. The shooting left Blake paralyzed amid a summer of nationwide riots over police tactics and racial injustice.
“The department is making this decision because the evidence obtained is insufficient to prove that the KPD officer deliberately used excessive force,” the DOJ said in a statement.
The agency said it informed Blake’s family oF decision.
State prosecutors declined to press charges against Sheskey earlier this year after video footage of the incident showed Blake wielding a knife.
Authorities were trying to arrest Blake under a pending warrant when a pocket knife fell out of his pants. Footage from the shooting shows Blake walking away from Sheskey towards the driver’s side of his vehicle. Her two children were seated in the back.
Sheskey told investigators he feared for his life when he opened fire and shot Blake in the back.
The incident came months into a nationwide death toll that saw riots and looting in several cities following the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 by Minneapolis police officers.
Kenosha erupted with riots over several nights resulting in arson and multiple arrests and property damage. During a night of unrest, Kyle Rittenhouse, an Illinois resident, allegedly shot dead two men and injured a third. He claimed to have opened fire in self-defense.
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He is charged with first degree intentional homicide, first degree reckless homicide and first degree reckless intentional homicide attempt.
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