Police officer who shot Jacob Blake named as Rusten Sheskey

The Wisconsin Department of Justice of the United States 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 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 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 Blake, however the taser was not successful in stopping Blake.

"Blake walked around his vehicle, opened the driver's side door, and leaned forward. While holding onto Blake's shirt, Officer Rusten Sheskey fired his service weapon 7 times. Officer Sheskey fired the weapon into 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.

"The shooting officer, Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey, has been a law enforcement officer with Kenosha Police Department for seven years.

"During the investigation following the initial incident, Blake admitted that he had a knife in his possession. Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) agents recovered a knife from the driver's side floorboard of Blake's vehicle. A search of the vehicle located no additional weapons.

"Law enforcement immediately provided medical aid to . Blake. Flight for Life transported Blake to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. Blake remains at the hospital.

"DCI is leading this investigation and is assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Wisconsin State Patrol and Kenosha County Sheriff's Office.

"All involved law enforcement are fully cooperating with DCI during this investigation. The involved officers have been placed on administrative leave.

The shooting of Jacob Blake has sparked violent protests on the streets Kenosha.

The US Justice Department says it has has sent more than 200 agents from the FBI, ATF and US Marshals Service to Kenosha because of rioting.

Two people were killed in the city on Tuesday night after a young white man, who was caught on mobile phone video, opened fire in the middle of the street with a semi-automatic rifle.

He has been named as 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, from Antioch, Illinois. He was arrested in Illinois on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide on Wednesday.

The identities of the victims have not yet been released, but they were a 26-year-old from Silver Lake and 36-year-old from Kenosha, NBC said, adding that a 26-year-old from West Allis was injured and is expected to survive.

One of those who died was shot in the head and the other in the chest, Sheriff David Beth told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

(Source: SKy News)