Yahoo News Police officer who shot Jacob Blake named as more details of incident released
The police officer who shot Jacob Blake in the back has been named as Rusten Sheskey of the Kenosha Police Department, the Wisconsin Department of Justice has said.
It said that officer Sheskey fired his weapon seven times hitting Mr Blake in the back. No other officer discharged their weapon.
In a statement, the Department of Justice said that during its investigation into the shooting, Mr Blake admitted that he had a knife and that one was recovered from the driver's side of Mr Blake's car.
The statement said: "Kenosha Police Department officers were dispatched to a residence in the 2800 block of 40th Street on the evening of Sunday, 23 August 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 seven 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. Division of Criminal Investigation (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.
"DCI is leading this investigation and is assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Wisconsin State Patrol and Kenosha County Sheriff's Office.
"All involved law enforcement are fully co-operating with DCI during this investigation. The involved officers have been placed on administrative leave."
The shooting of Jacob Blake has sparked violent protests on the streets of Kenosha.
The US Justice Department says it has has sent more than 200 agents from the FBI, ATF and US Marshals Service to Kenosha because of rioting.
Two people were killed in the city on Tuesday night after a young white man, who was caught on mobile phone video, opened fire in the middle of the street with a semi-automatic rifle.
He has been named as 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, from Antioch, Illinois. He was arrested in Illinois on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide on Wednesday.
The identities of the victims have not yet been released, but they were a 26-year-old from Silver Lake and 36-year-old from Kenosha, NBC said, adding that a 26-year-old from West Allis was injured and is expected to survive.
One of those who died was shot in the head and the other in the chest, Sheriff David Beth told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
