Jacob Blake Files Lawsuit Against Police Officer Who Shot Him
Jacob Blake has filed a civil lawsuit against the police officer who fired several bullets into his back. Blake was left paralyzed from the waist down.
According to CBS, in a lawsuit filed on March 25, Blake accuses Kenosha Officer Rusten Sheskey of excessive force.
Blake’s attorney Patrick Salvi II said in a statement to NBC, “While Jacob Blake survived being shot six times, his devastating injuries are permanent and life-changing. The bullet that severed Jacob’s spinal cord has left him paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. Jacob now suffers from an intractable pain syndrome.”
He also added, “After various surgical procedures and an agonizing course of physical rehabilitation, Jacob remains unable to return to his job as a security guard and relies on others to assist him with the basic needs of daily living.”
It’s not known what Blake is seeking in damages.
In a viral video from Aug. 23, Blake is seen walking towards the driver's side of his vehicle with his back turned. The police had their guns drawn on him. As soon as he entered the car, one of the officers began shooting, hitting him multiple times in front of his three sons. He was shot seven times in the back by Sheskey, who said that he was afraid for his safety after seeing a knife.
Blake was reportedly attempting to break up a fight between two women when officers were called to the scene.
A prosecutor declined to press charges against Sheskey.
In October, Blake was released from the hospital — where, at one point, he had been handcuffed to his bed — and moved to a spinal injury rehabilitation center in Illinois.
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