Jacob Blake files new federal lawsuit against Kenosha and officer who shot him seven times
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Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey shot Jacob Blake seven times total, not seven times in the back.
Jacob Blake has filed a new lawsuit against the City of Kenosha and its police department, including officer Rusten Sheskey who shot him seven times in 2020.
The Kenosha District Attorney declined to file criminal charges against Sheskey. Blake previously sued Sheskey in 2021 but dropped the suit last year.
The shooting led to days of violent protests in Kenosha, during which Kyle Rittenhouse killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, 28. Rittenhouse was acquitted in 2021 after arguing he acted in self-defense.
Blake is requesting a jury trial in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday. He is requesting payment for pain and suffering, saying the actions of the Kenosha Police Department violated his rights.
Blake's attorneys argue excessive force was used by Sheskey and Blake's Fourth Amendment rights were violated. The amendment protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government.
According to Blake's attorneys, retired Police Chief Daniel Miskinis and other officers failed to properly train and supervise officers, and as a result Blake's 14th Amendment rights were violated after he suffered lasting injuries. The shooting left Blake paralyzed from the waist down.
The 14th Amendment guarantees equal civil and legal rights to Black citizens. Blake's attorneys argue he was denied equal protection under the law because of his race.
"Officers treated Mr. Blake less favorably — and with unreasonable force — than his similarly situated White counterparts, wholly or in part because he was Black," a complaint states.
An email to a City of Kenosha spokesperson was not immediately returned Friday.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Jacob Blake files new federal lawsuit against Kenosha
