August 25, 2020

Action Alert:
Jacob Blake shooting – arrest and charge police now


24 August 2020, Kenosha, Wisconsin – Three police officers caught on video are alleged to have tased and beaten a man, who moments later they shot in the back – seven times. Their victim is in stable condition; his children who witnesses the attack are obviously traumatized.  The police are facing nothing more serious than suspension at present.

With no arrests, the officers have been at liberty to do as they please, perhaps even ‘get their stories straight’? – as the family and community suffers.

Kenosha police do not have to wear video cams; they go by audio recordings only.  Two of the officers shouted ‘drop the knife’ at Mr  Blake although the witness who filmed the shooting say he did not see a knife.  In the video it looks as if there was no knife but car keys.

There is no need to wait for an investigation before there are arrests: they shot a man in the back seven times at point blank range.

The level of force was wholly disproportionate.

Sadly, this is Wisconsin.

The Kenosha District Attorney is Michael D Graveley, here he is pictured n 2016 after winning an award.

Gina Barton of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote an article in May of this year, highlighting 18 deaths at the hands of Wisconsin police:  many of these deaths saw no charges brought, such as Larry Jenkins, shot while fleeing in 2002.

Let’s demand charges are brought immediately against police who shot Mr Blake.

ACTION:

Please contact Kenosha County District Attorney Michael D Graveley through one of the channels below and give them the following message, personalized to your liking:

 

The police officers who were involved in assaulting and then shooting Jacob Blake in the back – seven times at point blank range – are not under arrest:  why not?

Surely anyone with or without a badge who has acted in such a manner needs to be immediately arrested and charged appropriately.  As it stands, there are three officers who were seen to assault Mr Blake, who allegedly tased him, and then shot him in the back using lethal force when not necessary.  If he was tased, it is also possible he was in great pain and disorientated – the officers seem to have taken no account of this at all.

There is an allegation he had a knife – it looks as if he only had car keys.  With immediate effect I want to see the relevant officers arrested and charged to ensure they do not get a chance more than they have already enjoyed to ‘get their story straight,’ and I call on you to ensure that there is no attempt to in any way intimidate or interfere with the witness who captured the sickening events on tape.

It looks like Mr Blake may just have been trying to break up an argument – which would be even more damning for the police.  In any event, there was never any call to shoot him in the back at point blank range a massive seven times – and the person who did this needs to be behind bars:  not arresting them is an affront to justice.

Support including financial support must be made immediately to ensure the welfare of Mr Blake’s family, and going forward I want to see:  1 only competent, highly-trained police who have been screened to ensure no racists are given badges and guns; 2 immediate roll-out of mandatory body cam for all officers; 3 an independent inquiry into the operations of the Kenosha Police Department’s procedures and past controversial shootings.

Even a brief visit to the Kenosha County DA’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kenosha-County-District-Attorney/168227209859507 paints a very damning picture of how the police and your office operate, and this has to end today.

Phone:  262-653-2400

Email:  (form) https://www.kenoshacounty.org/forms.aspx?fid=73  and/ or Michael.Graveley@da.wi.gov

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kenosha-County-District-Attorney/168227209859507

Twitter:  @KenoshaCounty

 

And if you want to, please copy in the FBI:  they have a remit to investigate police corruption and racism, and sadly Kenosha looks like it would be fertile ground for such investigations:

Phone:  (202) 324-3000

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/FBI/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/FBI 

Once you have made contact, fill out the three fields below and click the orange banner to report taking action!

 


This is an action alert, NOT an online petition. Please take the action before filling out the fields below.

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