UN rights office says Blake shooting was ‘excessive’

“It also seems highly possible that the force used against Blake could be discriminatory in nature,” Rupert Colville said at a virtual briefing in Geneva, saying the use of force did not appear to comply with international standards.

The UN human rights office said on Friday that the images of the shooting of Black man Jacob Blake in Wisconsin appeared to show that the police officer had used “excessive” force that was likely discriminatory in nature.

A man with a firearm raises his hands up as he walks towards vehicles during a protest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Reuters)

“From the images available that we’ve seen at this point, the police appear to have used force against Jacob Blake that would seem to be excessive,” Rupert Colville said at a virtual briefing in Geneva, saying the use of force did not appear to comply with international standards.

“It also seems highly possible that the force used against Blake could be discriminatory in nature,” he added.