Jacob Blake has filed a civil lawsuit against the Kenosha, Wisconsin police officer who shot him in August of 2020, according to the Associated Press.
Video of the incident involving Blake and Kenosha police officers went viral, and outrage ensued as protests and riots around the country were reinvigorated just three months after the police incident that resulted in the death of George Floyd. Three officers were involved in the incident, but Blake is specifically suing Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey for excessive use of force and is seeking unspecified damages, according to the Associated Press.
Jacob Blake, who was paralyzed after being shot in the back by a cop, files excessive force lawsuit against the officer https://t.co/hUiX9ReWmn
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) March 26, 2021
During the incident, Blake was shot seven times in the back, resulting in Blake’s paralysis from the waist down. The officer argued that he felt his life was in danger because Blake had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, withstood tasers, and had a knife in close proximity. Sheskey shot Blake from just a few feet away next to his SUV, where his two children were sitting in the back, the Associated Press reported.
Blake’s complaint says Sheskey’s actions put his children in “imminent danger,” and that Shesky’s actions were “undertaken with malice, willfulness, and reckless indifference” of Blake’s rights, according to the Associated Press.
Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley previously decided not to file criminal charges against Sheskey or the other officers because he could not prove Sheskey was not taking measures for his own self-defense. (RELATED: Kamala Harris Told Jacob Blake She’s Proud Of Him. He Is Accused Of Sexual Assault)
Blake also was able to reach a plea deal with prosecutors over a felony third-degree sexual assault charge and tresspassing charges. Before he was shot, Blake allegedly sexually assaulted his ex-girlfriend after breaking into her residence.