Kenosha police said 55 people will be charged with violent demonstrations after police shot and killed Jacob Blake last summer
March 26, 2021, 4:32 p.m.
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KENOSHA, Wisconsin – Fifty-five people are charged with violent demonstrations in Kenosha, Wisconsin after Jacob Blake was shot dead by police last summer, police said Friday.
Kenosha officer Rusten Sheskey shot Blake seven times during a domestic argument in August, leaving him paralyzed. Blake, who is black, was holding a penknife that had fallen from his pocket during a fight with the police. Sheskey was not charged, but Blake filed a civil lawsuit this week accusing him of excessive violence.
The shooting, captured on video by onlookers, put the nation’s spotlight on Wisconsin during a summer marked by nationwide protests against police brutality and racism. The violent protests in Kenosha lasted several nights.
“A large number of people legitimately protesting; However, many were involved in illegal and dangerous activities, “Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis said in a statement.
An Illinois teenager faces multiple charges, including two homicide cases. Kyle Rittenhouse of Antioch is charged with opening fire on protesters with an AR-15 rifle, killing two people and injuring a third. According to prosecutors, Rittenhouse traveled to Kenosha on August 25 to protect companies from demonstrators.
Black Lives Matter supporters have portrayed him as a trigger-happy white supremacist. Rittenhouse claims he was attacked and fired in self-defense.
Miskinis says 49 adults and six minors will face charges, including arson, burglary, possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted criminal, criminal harm and disorderly behavior. He said 35 of the defendants were Kenosha residents. Rittenhouse was not included in the new list.
Police are trying to identify “many more suspects,” Miskinis said, noting, “More arrests are expected in the coming months.”
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