Police union account of Jacob Blake shooting emerges, runs completely counter to the media narrative



The Kenosha Police Union on Friday released its to-date account on the moments that led up to the shooting of Jacob Blake by police.

New allegations about the encounter appear to show that the interaction was far more involved than what it seemed on the surface: Blake reportedly confronted officers, placed one of them in a headlock, and was armed with a knife that he refused to drop — all before a Kenosha police officer was able to fire his service weapon.

What's a very brief history here?

Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey reportedly shot Blake in the back seven times last week during a call for a domestic dispute. Blake's family has said he is paralyzed from the waist down because of the shooting.

Since then, violent riots and out-of-control protests in Blake's honor have erupted across the U.S., putting further strain and pressure on police-community relations.

What are the details?

Kenosha Police Union attorney Brendan Matthews said that Blake was armed with a knife at a residence other than his own when Sheskey and other officers arrived on the scene, WCCO-TV reported.

Blake was reportedly at the residence of his ex-girlfriend, who accused him of sexual assault in May. Blake's ex-girlfriend called police, alleging that he was attempting to steal her keys and vehicle. Reports say that because of the alleged May assault, Blake was not supposed to be at her residence at all.

When officers arrived, Blake reportedly fought against them and even allegedly placed one in a headlock.

"The officers first saw [Blake] holding the knife while they were on the passenger side of the vehicle," Matthews explained.

Sheskey later shot Blake in the back while the two engaged on the driver's side of the vehicle.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice continues to investigate the incident.

On Friday, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said that the agency can neither confirm nor deny the union's statement on the chain of events that led to Blake's shooting, but did point out that Blake was, in fact, in possession of a knife.

What else do we know about the police officer?

In 2019, Sheskey said he long wanted to be a police officer to help people.

"What I like most [about being an officer] is that you're dealing with people on perhaps the worst day of their lives, and you can try and help them as much as you can and make that day a little bit better," he said at the time. "And that, for the most part, people trust us to do that for them. And it's a huge responsibility, and I really like trying to help people. We may not be able to make a situation right, or better, but we can maybe make it a little easier for them to handle during that time."

Policing apparently runs in the family: Sheskey's grandfather served as an officer for the City of Kenosha for 33 years.

Kenosha police union reveal key details in Jacob Blake shooting to correct 'misleading narrative'



The Kenosha Professional Police Association released a statement Friday contradicting key details of the Jacob Blake shooting as purported by the media.

Communicating through attorney Brendan Matthews, the police union released a timeline of the Blake incident to correct what it called a "wholly inaccurate" depiction by the media and Wisconsin Department of Justice.

"The purely fictional depiction of events coming from those without direct knowledge of what actually occurred is incredibly harmful, and provides no benefit to anyone whatsoever, other than to perpetuate a misleading narrative," the statement explained.

"Unfortunately, even the incident update from the Wisconsin Department of Justice ... is riddled with incomplete information, and omits important details that would help to paint a more complete picture of the incident," the union continued.

What are the facts, according to the union?

The union said officers were dispatched because a 911 caller claimed Blake was "attempting to steal [her] keys/vehicle." According to state investigators, the caller said Blake "was not supposed to be on the premises."

Police dispatched to the scene were "aware of Mr. Blake's open warrant for felony sexual assault," the union said, adding that Blake was not intervening in a domestic dispute like many reports claim.

Investigators with the Wisconsin Department of Justice said Blake had a knife "in his possession," which they claimed was recovered in the floorboard of his vehicle, the SUV seen in the viral video.

But according to the union, Blake was "armed with a knife," and the vehicle was not his.

The silver SUV seen in the widely circulated video was not Mr. Blake's vehicle. Mr. Blake was not unarmed. He was armed with a knife. The officers did not see the knife initially. The officers first saw him holding the knife while they were on the passenger side of the vehicle. The "main" video circulating on the internet shows Mr. Blake with the knife in his left hand when he rounds the front of the car. The officers issued repeated commands for Mr. Blake to drop the knife. He did not comply.

The union went on to explain that officers attempted to control the situation by speaking to Blake and issuing verbal commands, but Blake was allegedly "uncooperative" and "non-compliant."

The union claimed Blake "forcefully fought with the officers, including putting one of the officers in a headlock." Multiple attempts to "incapacitate" Blake through the use of a taser were unsuccessful, they said.

"Based on the inability to gain compliance and control after using verbal, physical and less lethal means, the officers drew their firearms," the union explained. "Mr. Blake continued to ignore the officers' commands, even with the threat of lethal force now present."

How did Blake's family respond?

Justin Blake, the uncle of Jacob Blake, called the police union's version of events "garbage" and "insulting," CNN reported.