Lawyer: Jacob Blake's children witnessed the shooting 1:47
(CNN) –– After three days of silence, late-night protests, fatal shootings at a demonstration, and a widespread protest across the sports world, Wisconsin security forces finally offered their first version of the shooting of Jacob Blake by Kenosha Police.
On Wednesday night, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) reported that the incident was due to a domestic dispute.
- LOOK: What we know so far about the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha
Police officers arrived on the scene, tried to arrest Blake, a 29-year-old black man, and used a stun gun in a failed attempt to stop him, the DCI said. Blake walked around his vehicle, "opened the driver's side door and leaned forward," the agency noted.
Police officer Rusten Sheskey, who has been in the Kenosha department for seven years, shot Blake in the back seven times, the DCI added. No other agent fired their weapon.
According to the agency, Blake admitted that he had a knife in his possession, and cops said they recovered a knife from the floor on the driver's side of Blake's vehicle.
This statement is the first official police version of the events, but it still leaves big gaps in their timeline and barely outlines an explanation. It does not state why the police moved to arrest Blake, whether Blake brandished or threatened to use the knife, or why Sheskey shot Blake in the back so many times, nor does it mention his children in the vehicle or other members of the gang. family who were just a few feet away.
Protests Demand Justice for Jacob Blake 3:45The police version of events was released after nightly protests in Kenosha demanding police transparency and rejecting police violence against black people. On Wednesday, a 17-year-old was arrested and charged with first-degree murder for his alleged role in a shooting the night before in which two people at a protest were killed and a third seriously injured, authorities said.
The protests spread to the sports world on Wednesday night, when the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks refused to play a game, sparking wild protests in the basketball, baseball and soccer leagues.
What the police say happened
Sunday's incident began when a woman called police and reported that "her boyfriend was present and was not supposed to be there," according to investigators.
In a police call, a dispatcher names Blake, says "he's not supposed to be there" and adds that he took the complainant's keys and refused to leave. The dispatcher explains later that he has no further details because the caller is "uncooperative."
- LEE: The case of Jacob Blake: another shooting, more protests and a deadly tension
Police said that about five minutes after the initial report, a dispatcher received reports of gunfire.
Authorities added that two officers were placed on administrative leave. The other police officers involved in the shooting will be identified soon, according to the state attorney general.
Police assisted Blake and he was airlifted to a Milwaukee hospital, police said.
Videos of the incident show a fight between Blake and the police, as well as the moment when Blake then walks through the front of a truck and tries to get in through the driver's side door. A police officer in Blake's tank top is seen and seven shots are heard.
All three of Blake's children were inside the vehicle at the time, attorney Ben Crump said.
On Wednesday morning, an attorney for the family told CNN that Blake did not have a gun in the car.
"I can't speak directly about what he had, but I can tell you that his three children were in the car," Patrick Salvi Jr. told CNN. That was on his mind. That is the most important thing for him in his life: his family and his children, "he added.
- LOOK: PHOTOS | Protests in Kenosha over police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man
Blake remains in the hospital and his family said the shooting would likely leave him paralyzed from the waist down. Salvi said that lawyers have not been able to obtain Blake's version given the severity of his injuries.
"He is a young man and he is resistant"
Justin Blake, the victim's uncle, told CNN Wednesday night that the family did not want to speak to the police officer.
"We just want to make sure the supervisors, the ones in charge, understand that (Blake's) mother and ... his father just want justice," he said. We don't want to talk to him. He should have to deal with the system in front of him, and we have to make sure that system works.
An attorney for the family previously said Blake suffered multiple injuries in the shooting, including a gunshot wound to his arm and had kidney, liver and spinal cord damage.
On Wednesday night, Blake's uncle said they hoped he could have "a great recovery."
"(His recovery) will be slow, it will be progressive, but he is a tough young man," said Justin Blake.
"He has every chance, like anyone else, to change things."
⚠️ The following video contains disturbing images. Viewer discretion is encouraged.
The Jacob Blake case: another shooting, more protests and deadly tension
⚠️ The following video contains disturbing images. Viewer discretion is encouraged - we are in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the epicenter of protests that broke out for the third day in a row after the shooting in which Jacob Blake was seriously injured after a run-in with police. This man received seven shots in his back. In the midst of the protests, a teenager is arrested on charges of murder: two people died.
Posted by CNN en Español on Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Shooting Blacks in the United States
