Jacob Blake’s attorneys file federal civil rights lawsuit towards Kenosha Officer Rusten Sheskey

KENOSHA, Wisconsin (CBS 58) – Jacob Blake’s family filed a lawsuit on Thursday March 25th against the Kenosha police officer who shot him dead last summer.

You’re looking for money in town, but you haven’t given a dollar amount. What the family and lawyer really want is to hold the city accountable.

Jacob Blake was paralyzed from the waist down after a violent encounter with the Kenosha police last August.

“He’s still in significant pain,” said Justin Blake, Jacob’s uncle.

Only one defendant is named in the complaint, Rusten Shesky, who shot Blake seven times after being taken to the block on a domestic call.

“You know he’s probably never going to walk again, but while he can’t walk, he’s taking his first step today by filing this lawsuit,” said B’Ivory Lamar, Blake’s attorney.

The suit states that Blake left when officers arrived and that Blake never tried to run or hit an officer. The video shows him reaching into his car before the shots are fired.

“And what happened before this video was that Jacob was attacked by the same officers. He was beaten, he was beaten, he was kicked, he was verbally abused, ”Lamar said.

B’Ivory Lamar says his client was scared.

“He looked up and he believed and he said god I think that’s it, I’m on my way,” said Lamar.

Referring to the George Floyd case, Lamar says Minneapolis did the right thing by paying the family $ 27 million. Now it is Kenosha’s turn.

“We need cities that say we don’t train our officers that way and do the right thing, and that will move our country forward,” Lamar said.

“This is not Mississippi. They will no longer terrorize the African American citizens of Wisconsin, especially Kenosha, ”said Justin Blake.

We have asked the Kenosha Police for a comment but have not heard from it.