Jacob Blake’s distraught father has described how his son woke up in tears shackled to his hospital bed and asked why the white cop shot him as many as seven times in the back at close range.
‘Why did they shoot me so many times?’ the 29-year-old black father-of-six sobbed, Jacob Blake Sr. told CNN Friday morning.
Two of the cops involved in Sunday’s shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, were identified Friday as Officers Vincent Arenas and Brittany Meronek.
The cop who fired all seven shots into Blake’s back in front of his three young children, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, was already identified this week as Officer Rusten Sheskey – a seven-year veteran of the force.
Sheskey and Arenas had each attempted to taser Blake prior to the shooting, the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed Friday.
Protests erupted in Kenosha this week following Blake’s shooting which marks the latest in a string of recent incidents where black men and women have been killed or seriously injured by cops across America.
Jacob Blake’s distraught father (pictured) has described how his son woke up in tears shackled to his hospital bed and asked why the white cop shot him as many as seven times in the back
‘Why did they shoot me so many times?’ the 29-year-old black father-of-six sobbed, Jacob Blake Sr. told CNN Friday morning
Blake’s father told CNN how his son cried in his hospital bed in Wauwatosa as he regained consciousness.
‘Then his next question was, ‘Why did they shoot me so many times?” Blake Sr. said.
‘And I said, ‘Baby they weren’t supposed to shoot you at all.”
Blake Sr. blasted authorities for handcuffing his son to the hospital bed by his leg – despite the fact he is paralyzed from the waist down and so unable to walk.
‘Why do they have that cold steel on my son’s ankle?’ Blake Sr. asked.
‘He can’t get up, he couldn’t get up if he wanted to.’
The heartbroken father said his son was not being ‘afforded the rights of a human.’
Blake’s uncle Justin Blake also described it as ‘an insult to injury’: ‘He is paralyzed and can’t walk and they have him cuffed to the bed. Why?’
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that all hospitalized patients in police custody are restrained unless undergoing medical procedures, and that it was working ‘to ensure a safe and humane environment for Mr. Blake.’
However, at a news conference, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers also slammed the treatment of Blake replying ‘hell yes’ when asked if he was concerned about him being handcuffed to his hospital bed.
The cop who fired all seven shots into Blake’s back in front of his three young children was identified this week as Officer Rusten Sheskey (left). Two of the other cops involved were identified Friday as Officers Vincent Arenas (right) and Brittany Meronek
Meronek is pictured third on right. She was identified as one of the other cops involved in Blake’s arrest. Neither she nor Arenas fired their weapons. Sheskey and Arenas had each attempted to taser Blake prior to the shooting, the DOJ revealed Friday
‘He paid a horrific price already,’ the governor said.
‘I would have no personal understanding why that would be necessary.’
The DOJ Friday released new information on the events leading up to the moment Officer Sheskey unloaded his weapon into Blake’s back at close range including naming the two other officers involved and revealing law enforcement tried and failed to stop Blake twice with tasers before the shooting.
One of the cops was named as Officer Arenas who has served with Kenosha Police Department since February 2019, and worked with the United States Capitol Police Department prior to joining the force.
Female rookie cop Officer Meronek just joined Kenosha Police Department in January.
Arenes and Meronek did not fire their guns during the incident Sunday.
All seven shots were fired by seven-year veteran Sheskey, 31, who DailyMail.com this week revealed faced disciplinary action back in 2017 for a violation of the force’s Safe Operation of Department Vehicle.
Sheskey was also first to deploy his taser, according to the DOJ.
Arenes also deployed his taser but it was ‘also not successful in stopping Mr. Blake’, the DOJ said.
Blake has been left paralyzed following the shooting which happened in front of his three young children
The image above shows the moment a Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer fired at least seven shots into the back of Jacob Blake as he was getting into an SUV in a residential neighborhood
The images above show the moments leading up to the shooting. Blake (seen in the white shirt) walks away from a police officer who has his gun drawn
Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 2800 block of 40th Street in response to a 911 call from Blake’s girlfriend reporting ‘that her boyfriend was present and was not supposed to be on the premises.’
Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Blake’s family, said Blake was ‘helping to de-escalate a domestic incident’ at the address at the time.
The DOJ release said cops tried to arrest Blake and, after the initial attempt to arrest him failed, Sheskey tried to subdue him with a taser.
When the taser failed to stop Blake, Arenas also deployed his taser, the DOJ said.
This attempt was also unsuccessful in stopping Blake.
Now infamous smartphone footage reveals what happened next.
The shocking video showed Blake walking round the front of his SUV tailed by the two male cops and one female cop with their guns drawn.
The two male cops are pointing their guns at Blake as he opens the driver’s door to his car and appears to try to get inside.
At this point, Sheskey grabs Blake’s shirt and shoots him seven times in the back at point blank range in the doorway of his vehicle, as his three young children watch from inside the car.
His girlfriend also witnessed the moment he was shot.
The DOJ said Wednesday Blake admitted he had a knife in his possession during the investigation following the initial incident.
A knife was recovered from Blake’s vehicle after the shooting and authorities claim he was reaching for the knife or it fell from his hand when he was riddled with bullets by the cop.
However it is unclear if Blake had the knife on him when he was talking to police and there has been no suggestion Blake threatened anyone with a knife.
No other weapons were found in his car.
Kenosha Police Department does not have body cameras, therefore the officers were not wearing body cameras.
All three cops involved have been placed on administrative leave while an investigation is ongoing.
Authorities said the officers are fully cooperating with the investigation.
Thousands have taken to the streets demanding justice and calling for an end to police brutality and racism in the wake of the shooting – reigniting demonstrations that have taken place since May following the ‘murder’ of George Floyd by a Minneapolis cop.
On the third night of protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Tuesday, a white 17-year-old shot dead two unarmed Black Lives Matter protesters and injured a third man.
On Wednesday afternoon 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was arrested and charged with murder over the shooting deaths of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, of Kenosha, and Anthony Huber, 26.
The police-obsessed Trump supporter shot Rosenbaum five times including in the head, the criminal complaint reveals, before calling a friend to tell them ‘I’ve killed someone’.
He also allegedly shot activist Gaige Grosskreutz in the arm.
Outrage is building nationwide as people draw comparisons between the treatment of the illegally armed 17-year-old who had allegedly shot dead two men and injured another and the treatment of Blake by cops.
Shocking video footage appears to show Rittenhouse casually walk past cops and leave the scene with his rifle slung over his shoulder and his hands in the air following his alleged shooting rampage.
Blake was not armed with a gun when he was shot seven times in the back in front of his children two days earlier.