Jacob Blake Files Lawsuit against Kenosha Officer
Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man who is now paralyzed after a white police officer shot at him seven times last summer, has filed a federal civil lawsuit against the Kenosha police officer.
On August 23, 2020, a call to 911 was made by a woman who had previously filed charges against Blake. The charges resulted in a warrant for Blake's arrest. When officers arrived on the scene, Blake was quickly surrounded by several officers as they attempted to make an arrest. When the attempt failed, Kenosha officer Rusten Sheskey shot at Blake seven times with six bullets striking him in the back.
The shooting left Blake partially paralyzed and immediately after footage of the shooting went viral, protesters descended on the town of Kenosha to voice their objection to police brutality.
The lawsuit which was filed last Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin by nationally acclaimed civil rights attorney Ben Crump along with Patrick A. Salvi II and B'Ivory LaMarr highlights that Sheskey used unnecessary and excessive force when encountering Blake.
The lawsuit which includes still images from a video shot by a neighbor also alleges that Blake did not receive verbal commands that he was being placed under arrest. In turn, Blake tensed up and responded the way he did because he felt “he was about to be attacked by the police.”
Attorneys for Blake go on to explain how officer Sheskey's actions put Blake's children in “imminent danger from being hit by gunfire and or ricocheting bullets or fragments thereof.”
In a press release, LaMarr explains, “Miraculously, no bystanders were hit by gunfire. Although Jacob’s children escaped physical injury and avoided being hit by the stray bullet that fired into the SUV, they were forced to witness their father being gunned down only feet away from where they sat.”
The complaint goes on to allege that Blake “ suffered grave physical and psychological injuries that included physical harm from six gunshot wounds, permanent paralysis, disfigurement and disability, as well as great mental anguish, humiliation, degradation, loss of reputation and anxiety.”
Lawyers for Blake released a press statement in which they highlight the excessive and unnecessary force used. Attorney Patrick A. Salvi II shared, “While Jacob Blake survived being shot six times, his devastating injuries are permanent and life-changing. The bullet that severed Jacob’s spinal cord has left him paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. Jacob now suffers from an intractable pain syndrome. After various surgical procedures and an agonizing course of physical rehabilitation, Jacob remains unable to return to his job as a security guard and relies on others to assist him with the basic needs of daily living.”
In his first sit-down interview since the shooting, Blake shared with ABC News, “I didn’t wanna be the next George Floyd, I didn’t wanna die … I was counting down my breaths, my blinks. I was like ‘God, I’m coming.’ I guess this is it for me.”
In the lawsuit, Blake and his attorneys are seeking compensation for his injuries, punitive damages, and other legal fees, though the compensation amounts have not been specified.
Blake's shooting last summer made national headlines for being the latest in a string of sometimes-deadly force used on black men at the hands of white police officers. The lawsuit comes amid the start of the trial against Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who was involved in the event that led to the death of another black man, George Floyd.
In the case of George Floyd, the Floyd family settled a civil lawsuit in which Minneapolis paid out $27 million. Similarly, the death of Breonna Taylor, an unarmed black woman who was shot and killed after police raided her home in the middle of the night, prompted a lawsuit that resulted in a $12 million settlement for the family. Blake’s lawsuit will follow a similar path in aiming to hold police officers accountable for their actions.
