Wisconsin officials identify Kenosha officer who shot Jacob Blake, said Blake's car had knife, no gun

Protester in Kenosha, Wisconsin
(Image credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey was holding on to Jacob Blake's shirt, trying to prevent him from getting into his SUV, when he shot Blake seven times in the back, the Wisconsin Department of Justice said in a statement late Wednesday.

Officers arrived at Blake's address responding to a call from a woman who said her boyfriend wasn't supposed to be there, the state DOJ said. Officers tried to arrest Blake on a domestic warrant uncovered en route to the scene, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. One officer tased Blake, and when he continued trying to leave the scene, three officers followed him at close range. Sheskey grabbed and shot Blake after he "leaned forward" into the driver's side door, the Wisconsin DOJ said. State officers found a knife on the floorboard, but no other weapons in the car, and it is unclear if the Kenosha police officers knew about the knife. Blake was shot less than three minutes after police arrived.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.