Kenosha Co. Attorney To File No Charges Against Officers In Jacob Blake Shooting

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP/CBS News/WCCO) — Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley has decided that no charges will be filed by his office after the white police officer shot a Black man in the back last summer.

Graveley said he made his decisions "based on the facts and on the laws," and said he did not believe there was sufficient evidence to get a conviction in the Aug. 23 incident.

Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey had been responding to a domestic dispute when he fired seven times at Jacob Blake, as Blake was trying to get inside an SUV. Blake's three young children were in the back seat. Investigators have said they found a knife inside the vehicle, but his family has denied that he was armed.

Blake was left paralyzed from the waist down. The shooting was captured on video and circulated quickly online, fueling large protests in Kenosha that caused millions of dollars in damage to public and private property.

Graveley said Tuesday that no criminal charges would be filed by his office against Blake, either. Graveley said that he had informed Blake of the news before holding a news conference to announce his decision.

Sheskey and the other officers who were at the scene have been placed on administrative leave.

READ MORE: CBS Chicago coverage of Blake shooting decision.

The state Department of Justice investigated the shooting under a state law that requires outside agencies to investigate all officer-involved incidents. The department asked former Madison Police Chief Noble Wray, who is Black, to review its findings after Graveley asked for an outside expert to review the investigation.

Kenosha, a city of 100,000 on the Wisconsin-Illinois border about 60 miles north of Chicago, was braced for renewed protests ahead of the charges, with concrete barricades and metal fencing surrounded the Kenosha County Courthouse and plywood protecting many businesses. The Common Council on Monday night unanimously approved an emergency resolution giving the mayor the power to impose curfews, among other things, and Gov. Tony Evers activated 500 National Guard troops to assist.

On Monday night, Blake's family held a rally and marched with supporters, calling for Sheskey to be fired, criminally charged and convicted. The family said justice in the case was long overdue. Jacob Blake Sr., Blake's father, urged supporters to stand up against police brutality nationwide.

"Let's stand up and make some noise," Blake, Sr. said. "Let's be heard around the world."

Blake said his son posed no threat to the officer. He said he wanted to see Sheskey charged with attempted murder.

"Jacob Blake's life has forever been changed and his kids witnessed violence no kid should ever see, experienced trauma no kid should ever endure, all while the world watched. And yet, when presented the opportunity to rise to this moment and this movement and take action to provide meaningful, commonsense reform to enhance accountability and promote transparency in policing in our state, elected officials took no action," said Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers.

"Today's decision is further evidence that our work is not done - we must work each day in earnest toward a more just, more fair, and more equitable state and country, and to combat the racism experienced by Black Wisconsinites. I hope for peace and justice for Jacob, his family, and the entire Kenosha community. I reaffirm my commitment to action to build a more just, more equitable state for every Wisconsinite. And I ask those who will exercise their right to assemble tonight and in the days ahead to please do so peacefully and safely," Evers added.

Earlier Tuesday, 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who fatally shot two people and wounded a third amidst the protests on the streets of Kenosha, pleaded not guilty to charges including intentional homicide.

Rittenhouse opened fire with an assault-style rifle during protests two nights later, killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz. Rittenhouse has argued he fired in self-defense. Conservatives have rallied around Rittenhouse, describing him as a patriot who took up arms to protect people and property, and raised enough money to make his $2 million cash bail.

Others see him as a domestic terrorist whose presence with a rifle incited protesters. Rittenhouse was 17 at the time of the shootings.

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)