Jacob Blake’s father to lead protest after no charges pressed against officer who shot him

After learning that the officer who shot African-American Jacob Blake will not face any charges, his family and supporters have vowed that they bring their protest to the US’s capital Washington, DC. 

Blake’s father, Jacob on Tuesday said, “Now our battle must go in front of the Congress, it must go in front of the Senate.” He added, “We’re gonna protest right into the offices. We’re gonna go see Nancy [Pelosi] first… then we’ll go see the Senate ’til we’re seen, ’til we’re heard,” a CNN report said. 

Last year in August, Rusten Sheshkey shot Blake, 29, while responding to a domestic incident in Wisconsin’s Kenosha. The shooting left Blake paralysed from the waist down. The incident sparked massive outrage among people at the time when the nation was already witnessing widespread demonstrations against racism and police brutality. 

Kenosha’s District Attorney Michael Graveley on Tuesday said, “No Kenosha law enforcement officer, in this case, will be charged with any criminal offense, based on the facts of the law.”

Acknowledging Blake’s injuries as a tragedy, Graveley said white police officer Sheskey had a reasonable claim of fear of being stabbed when he shot Blake several times in the back as Blake tried to get in his car.

He said he said did not have the experience to understand the risks of being a police officer as well as the experience of fearing for his life because of his race.

After Graveley’s announcement, Blake Sr said, “We expected it… We understood what was going to come when they called in [the] National Guard.”

Ahead of the announcement, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers mobilised around 500 National Guard on Monday while the Kenosha City Council passed a unanimous resolution to grant the mayor emergency powers.