The Wisconsin Department of Justice has named the police officer who shot Jacob Blake as Rusten Sheskey of the Kenosha Police Department.
It said that Officer Sheskey fired his weapon seven times hitting Mr Blake in the back. No other officer discharged their weapon.
In a statement the Department of Justice said that during its investigation into the shooting, Blake admitted that he had a knife and that one was recovered from the driver’s side of Mr Blake’s car.
According to the statement: “Kenosha Police Department officers were dispatched to a residence in the 2800 block of 40th Street on the evening of Sunday, 23 August after a female caller reported that her boyfriend was present and was not supposed to be on the premises.
“During the incident, officers attempted to arrest Jacob S. Blake, age 29. Law enforcement deployed a taser to attempt to stop Mr Blake, however the taser was not successful in stopping Mr Blake.
“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.
“No other officer fired their weapon. Kenosha Police Department does not have body cameras, therefore the officers were not wearing body cameras.”
Mr Blake is recovering in hospital and is conscious, but his lawyers fear it will take a “miracle” for him to walk again.
At a news conference, Kenosha Police Chief, Daniel Miskinis, confirmed that a 17-year-old from Antioch, Illinois, had been arrested over the deaths of a 26- and 36-year-old during the protests. The injured individual is also 26 years of age, and is expected to recover, he said.
“One of those who died was shot in the head and the other in the chest”, Sheriff David Beth added.
The teenager, named as Kyle Rittenhouse, has been held on suspicion of first-degree murder. Several videos from witnesses at the scene showed a person with a long gun opening fire during the protest. Police have not confirmed if Rittenhouse is the person in these videos.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said the violence and destruction in Kenosha was “despicable.”
“The heavily armed vigilantes, arsonists, and other opportunists who have come to Kenosha to attempt to spur chaos have interfered with that and caused drastic harm to people,” he said in a statement. “If those engaging in violence and destruction of property believe they are furthering some broader goal, they are wrong. They should leave Kenosha.”
Wisconsin Attorney General, Josh Kaul
US President Donald Trump has since sent federal law enforcement to Kenosha, tweeting they were to combat “looting, arson, violence, and lawlessness on American streets”.
The Department of Justice has opened a federal investigation into the shooting. It has sent more than 200 FBI agents and US Marshals to the city, according to a spokeswoman.
Shortly following Mr Trump’s tweet, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said he had authorised 500 National Guard troops to support law enforcement efforts amid concerns about further violence.
Protests have also spread to a number of other US cities, including Portland, Oregon and in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in May sparked Black Lives Matter protests across the US and globally.
