DOJ investigating police shooting of Jacob Blake

DOJ investigating police shooting of Jacob Blake

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the police shooting of a 29-year-old Black man named Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which has sparked days of civil unrest and protest over racial injustice.

Gloria Tso reports.

The U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday(August 26) a federal civil rights investigation has been opened into the shooting of a 29-year-old Black man named Jacob Blake.

Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday evening, leaving him partially paralyzed.

The shooting is also being investigated by the Wisconsin Justice Department, which on Wednesday said they found a knife belonging to Blake at the scene of the shooting.

State Attorney General Josh Kaul said the knife was recovered from the driver's side floorboard of the car Blake was leaning into, when police shot him several times in the back.

"During the investigation following the initial incident, Mr. Blake admitted that he had a knife in his possession." Kaul did not describe the knife or say whether it had anything to do with why the officer, a seven-year veteran of the Kenosha police department identified as Rusten Sheskey, had opened fire on Blake.

Kaul said no other police officers fired their weapons.

The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.

Blake's family and protesters have demanded the officers involved be immediately fired and prosecuted.

Kaul said his department's division of criminal investigations plans to issue a full report on the incident to prosecutors in 30 days, and that no other details were immediately available.

The shooting has sparked days of protests in Kenosha and outrage across the country.

The National Basketball Association postponed several playoff games Wednesday after NBA team the Milwaukee Bucks staged a boycott.

And tennis matches on Thursday for the Western and Southern Open tournaments will be suspended in protest over racial injustice.

That came just hours after star athlete Naomi Osaka said she would be pulling out of the tournament in protest.