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Kenosha police union says Jacob Blake was armed with a knife, DOJ won’t say whether he was holding it
The city was a lot quieter Sunday, one week after the shooting of Jacob Blake by Kenosha police, but there's still a lot we don't know, with the investigation ongoing, including what justice for Jacob Blake looks like, and how Kenosha moves forward.
KENOSHA, Wis. - The city was a lot quieter Sunday, Aug. 30, one week after the shooting of Jacob Blake by Kenosha police, but there's still a lot we don't know, with the investigation ongoing, including what justice for Jacob Blake looks like, and how Kenosha moves forward.
"This could have been anybody," said Gene Ollivierra, Blake family friend. "This could have been me."
Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey, Jacob Blake
Sunday marked seven days since Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey shot Blake, five days since Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, of Antioch, Illinois is accused of shooting three people in the midst of protests and riots, and maybe 30 seconds since Ollivierra had to remind himself about what happened.
"You don't hear, 'Some white kid got shot seven times in the back,'" said Ollivierra. "You just don't hear it, you know? He goes home."
Gene Ollivierra
Many went home before Kenosha's 7 p.m. curfew, leaving the city with a different feel on Sunday night.
"As far as rioting and looting, that's not the answer," said Ollivierra. "We're not here for that. We're not condoning that. We're here to get justice."
So what does that look like? The state Department of Justice investigation could take weeks. Kenosha's mayor on Sunday asked the governor for $30 million to rebuild, and there's still so much we don`t know.
The DOJ and Kenosha's police union have different stories about why police showed up in the first place.
The DOJ won't say whether Blake was holding a knife when he was shot.
The union claims he was, saying officers knew he had a warrant for felony sexual assault.
"There's been a lot of negative things said about him now, and bottom line is there's no justification for seven in the back," said Ollivierra. "You can't be judge, jury and executioner."
The answer to the question what now won't arrive in the next seven days, and maybe not even in the next seven weeks, but Kenosha residents say their goal is to raise too many voices to count.
Sunday, Aug. 30 in Kenosha
Kenosha's police chief said he can't talk about the Blake shooting citing the ongoing DOJ investigation.
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