BREAKING: Police Confirm That Jacob Blake Was Armed When He Was Shot

KENOSHA, WISCONSIN — The shooting of Jacob Blake, occurring this past Sunday, sparked outrage in the community that turned protests into riots over the past few nights. Blake is black and the officers are white, and it immediately turned into a racial issue by many.

We are now learning from police that Blake was armed with a knife when he was shot, likely as we saw in video that was closely picked apart.

A press release was issued earlier today, the full text of which can be viewed here.

Kenosha Police Department officers were dispatched to a residence in the 2800 block of 40th Street after a female caller reported that her boyfriend was present and was not supposed to be on the premises.

During the incident, officers attempted to arrest Jacob S. Blake, age 29. Law enforcement deployed a taser to attempt to stop Mr. Blake, however the taser was not successful in stopping Mr. Blake. Mr. Blake walked around his vehicle, opened the driver’s side door, and leaned forward. While holding onto Mr. Blake’s shirt, Officer Rusten Sheskey fired his service weapon 7 times. Officer Sheskey fired the weapon into Mr. Blake’s back. No other officer fired their weapon. Kenosha Police Department does not have body cameras, therefore the officers were not wearing body cameras.

The shooting officer, Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey, has been a law enforcement officer with Kenosha Police Department for seven years.

During the investigation following the initial incident, Mr. Blake admitted that he had a knife in his possession. DCI agents recovered a knife from the driver’s side floorboard of Mr. Blake’s vehicle. A search of the vehicle located no additional weapons.

Law enforcement immediately provided medical aid to Mr. Blake. Flight for Life transported Mr. Blake to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. Mr. Blake remains at the hospital.

The rioting, as a result of the shooting of Blake, has caused much damage throughout the city, numerous rioters and police injured, and two people have been killed.

It turned out that Blake had a warrant from another domestic incident in May, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

He was wanted on charges of third-degree sexual assault, trespassing, and disorderly conduct in connection with domestic abuse that occurred at the same address, according to Newsweek.

via bluelivesmatter.blue