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The Justice Department will not pursue federal civil rights violation charges against the Wisconsin police officer who shot Jacob Blake last summer, which culminated in days of violent riots where two people were killed.
Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey shot Blake, 30, on Aug. 23, 2020 during a domestic disturbance call. The shooting left Blake paralyzed amid a summer of riots nationwide about police tactics and racial injustice.
In its finding, the Justice Department said a team of prosecutors from its Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Wisconsin reviewed evidence obtained by the FBI and state investigators in an effort to determined if Sheskey violated federal law.
KENOSHA POLICE CHIEF TAKES PARTING SHOTS IN FAREWELL MESSAGE
In this September 2019 selfie photo taken in Evanston, Ill., Adria-Joi Watkins poses with her second cousin Jacob Blake. Authorities on Wednesday said Blake had a knife on him when he was shot by a Kenosha, Wis., police officer multiple times Sunday. (Courtesy Adria-Joi Watkins via AP)
"The department makes this decision because the evidence obtained is insufficient to prove that the KPD officer willfully used excessive force," the DOJ said in a statement. "Accordingly, the review of this incident has been closed without a federal prosecution.."
The agency said it informed Blake's family of the decision. Ben Crump, attorney for the Blake family, did not immediately respond to a Fox News message for comment.
State prosecutors declined to file charges against Sheskey earlier this year after video footage of the incident showed Blake armed with a knife. Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley said at the time that statements that Blake was unarmed were contradicted by evidence not captured on the widely circulated video of the shooting.
Authorities were trying to arrest Blake on an outstanding warrant when a pocketknife fell from his pants. Footage of the shooting shows Blake walking away from officers toward the driver’s side of his vehicle. His two children were in the backseat.
A man on a bike rides past a city truck on fire outside the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S., during protests following the police shooting of Black man Jacob Blake August 23, 2020. Picture taken August 23, 2020. (Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY via REUTERS)
Sheskey told investigators he feared for his life when he opened fire and shot Blake several times.
The incident came months into a nationwide reckoning that saw riots and looting in multiple cities following the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers.
Kenosha erupted with riots for several nights resulting in arson property damage and multiple arrests. During one night of unrest, Kyle Rittenhouse, an Illinois resident, allegedly shot and killed two men and wounded a third. He claimed he opened fire in self-defense.
In this Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, file photo, Kyle Rittenhouse carries a weapon as he walks along Sheridan Road in Kenosha, Wis., during a night of unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. (AP/The Journal Times)
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He is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide and attempted first-degree intentional reckless homicide.
In June, Kenosha city leaders rejected a claim for damages from Blake over the shooting.
