Kenosha cop who shot Jacob Blake in the back 7 times named, more details of incident revealed

The US Department of Justice announced late on Wednesday that it was opening a civil rights investigation into Jacob Blake’s shooting.

The officials in United States named the white police officer on Wednesday who shot 29-year-old Jacob Blake, a black, in the back. The incident has led to a fresh wave of protests across the country, which had started after the shooting of George Floyd.

A sign is displayed as people pay tributes during a protest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Wednesday. (Reuters Photo)

Officer Rusten Sheskey, a seven-year veteran of the police force in Kenosha, Wisconsin, shot Blake seven times at point blank range while three of his children watched in the Midwestern city.

Blake survived, but may be paralysed for life.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice also gave the official account of Blake’s shooting for the first time on Wednesday, saying he had a knife in possession when Sheskey opened fire.

“Mr Blake walked around his vehicle, opened the driver’s side door, and leaned forward. While holding onto Mr Blake’s shirt, Officer Rusten Sheskey fired his service weapon 7 times. Officer Sheskey fired the weapon into Mr Blake’s back,” the department said in a statement.

It was not clear from the statement if the knife, recovered from inside the car, was in Blake’s hands when he was shot.

Protests over the incident have descended into violence across the US. The governor of Minnesota declared a state of peacetime emergency on the city of Minneapolis after violent protests erupted on Wednesday night following the death of a Black homicide suspect who police say shot himself.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey imposed a curfew following what he described as mass looting of businesses, destruction of property and unrest. Authorities also said there was misinformation spread in relation to the death of the suspect.

Many sportsmen and women have also showed their support with NBA basketball players, tennis star Naomi Osaka, baseball and soccer players all pulling out of fixtures in protest.