The U.S. Department of Justice will conduct an independent investigation into the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha police officer. “Because they have no connection to this law enforcement officer. They’re never going to have these officers for other cases,” Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley said on Wednesday.
Gravely spoke at a press conference with Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, where the AG identified Kenosha Officer Rusten Sheskey as the man who fired seven shots at Jacob Blake’s back last weekend.
While Graveley’s office will make the ultimate decision on filing charges in the case, the DA said it’s important to have a parallel investigation. “I’m having them do an independent determination that will be public. It will have no connection to my own, so there will be essentially a second opinion, that will be offered on slightly different laws . . . by a different prosecuting agency.”
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting of Mr. Jacob Blake. The investigation is being conducted by the FBI Milwaukee Division.https://t.co/m4S8CUHmuH pic.twitter.com/oF2ixp6Xs3
— FBI Milwaukee (@FBIMilwaukee) August 27, 2020
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI Milwaukee Division. The legal team representing the Blake family plans to file a civil lawsuit against the police department over the shooting. Blake, who remains hospitalized in Milwaukee, is reportedly paralyzed from the waist down.