Jacob Blake Sues Kenosha, Wisconsin, Cop Who Shot Him Seven Times in the Back
IT’S NOT OVER
Jacob Blake, the 29-year-old Black man who was paralyzed from the waist down after he was repeatedly shot in the back by a white police officer, has filed a civil lawsuit against the cop who pulled the trigger. Officer Rusten Sheskey shot Blake seven times in August 2020 as he tried to get into a van with his children. The shooting sparked several nights of unrest in the Wisconsin city of Kenosha and the deaths of two protesters. In January, the district attorney announced that Sheskey would not be charged for the shooting—now Blake is taking matters into his own hands. According to CBS News, Blake filed a lawsuit Thursday that accuses Sheskey of using excessive force. The complaint reportedly includes photos of each of the seven shots fired by Sheskey, and accuses the officer of putting Blake’s young children in “imminent danger” of being hurt. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.