[As he prepared to march through Kenosha, Justin Blake had his own
message: “We do not want you to leave here not fully understanding
that the Blake family, one day, will get justice.”]
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BLAKE FAMILY PLANS TO TAKE STRUGGLE BEYOND CHARGING DECISION  
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Isiah Holmes
January 5, 2021
Wisconsin Examiner
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_ As he prepared to march through Kenosha, Justin Blake had his own
message: “We do not want you to leave here not fully understanding
that the Blake family, one day, will get justice.” _

Protesters gather in Kenosha on Jan 4, leading up to the Blake
decision., Isiah Holmes

 

For the family of Jacob Blake, the pursuit of justice will not end
with the district attorney’s decision not to charge the officer who
shot Blake in the back, during an interaction in August, 2020.
“It’s a new day,” Justin Blake, Jacob’s uncle, reassured a
crowd of press and supporters on the eve of the announcement on Jan 5
that there would be no charges in the case. “It’s 2021, not 2020.
In 2020 we learned a lot. We were able to really analyze a lot and see
where we stood. 2021 is the year that we tell the truth and get
everybody to stand up and make some noise.”

On Aug. 23, 2020, Kenosha officers were called to a residence
for after a report
[[link removed]] of
“family trouble.” A dispatcher said a woman called for police and
said, “Jacob Blake isn’t supposed to be there and he took the
complainant’s keys and is refusing to give them back.” After
officers arrived, video of the incident captured Blake walking down
the sidewalk toward his vehicle followed by officers who had  drawn
their guns.

[Protesters and the family of Jacob Blake hold a candle light vigil in
Kenosha on Jan. 4, 2021. (Photo by Isiah Holmes)]

Protesters and the family of Jacob Blake hold a candle light vigil in
Kenosha on Jan. 4, 2021. (Photo by Isiah Holmes)

Officer Rusten Sheskey shot Blake at close range as he began to climb
into the driver’s seat of the car, while his sons sat in the back
seat. Seven gun shots can be heard on the video, which soon went
viral. Although investigators have stated that a knife was found on
the floor of the vehicle, it’s yet to be confirmed whether Blake was
wielding it when he was shot. Blake survived the shooting, but was
left paralyzed from the waist down and is undergoing therapy.

The Blake shooting was investigated
[[link removed]] by
the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal
Investigations (DCI). Rusten has also stated he feared Blake was
attempting to kidnap the children. Blake’s family firmly rejects
that narrative.

“Whatever they thought Jacob did,” says Vaun Mayes, a community
organizer from Milwaukee, “there’s a process for that. You go to
jail, you go to court, and then we see what happens. We don’t even
get to make it to the jail … we don’t even make it to the process.
That’s what we’re talking about.” The Blake family has called
for Officer Sheskey to be fired and they had wanted him to be charged
in the shooting — a hope that faded on Tuesday. But they say the
fight goes beyond their specific case.

“We know about patience,” Justin Blake said, noting his family’s
generational involvement in civil rights issues over the decades.
“One thing we’re not going to do is allow the United States of
America, one of the richest countries in the world, to virtually jail
each and every African decedent that looks like little Jake. Because
if they get away with this, saying that this gentleman was just trying
to prevent the children from being kidnapped, then that means  that
it’s an open run on all African Americans around this country.”

[Protesters take to the streets on Jan. 4 in Kenosha. (Photo by Isiah
Holmes)]

Protesters take to the streets on Jan. 4 in Kenosha. (Photo by Isiah
Holmes)

The family and a network of organizers around them are prepared to
continue pushing and marching in the streets. After their press
conference on Monday night, the Blakes led a march through the damp,
28 degree evening through the streets towards Civic Park. In August,
the park was the site of clashes between Black Lives Matter protesters
and militarized law enforcement as well as armed right-wing militias
— including 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who entered a not-guilty
plea in a hearing held just before the charging announcement in
Kenosha on Tuesday.

The trauma from the Blake shooting and aftermath which left two dead
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one maimed, and millions of dollars in property damage, fueled the
city’s preparations for a potential backlash when the charging
decision was announced on Tuesday.

Kenosha’s Common Council held a meeting on its recently issued
emergency declaration order on Jan. 4. During the meeting, fines for
violating the curfew and emergency order were raised to over $1,300
from the $200 that was in effect in August. Mayor Jon Antaramian was
also granted a “declaration of authority” during the order, giving
him the power to issue a curfew. “It’s my intention to always make
sure that I keep the city out of trouble in the way we handle these
projects,” said
[[link removed]] Antaramian.

The order will remain valid for eight days after Tuesday’s
announcement. Meanwhile, Gov. Tony Evers mobilized the National Guard.
“We are continuing to work with our local partners in the Kenosha
area to ensure they have the state support they need, just as we have
in the past,” said Evers. “Our members of the National Guard will
be on hand to support local first responders, ensure Kenoshans are
able to assemble safely, and to protect critical infrastructure as
necessary.”

The city of Kenosha had begun preparing for Tuesday’s announcement
weeks ahead of time. Businesses boarded up early, and the same black
metal fence which surrounded the courthouse in August returned. On
Monday evening, during the Blakes’ march on Jan. 4 there were no
National Guard or police in sight. The only visible law enforcement
presence was a single marked Kenosha police SUV, which shadowed the
protest on the side streets.

[Protesters take to the streets on Jan. 4 in Kenosha. (Photo by Isiah
Holmes)]

Protesters take to the streets on Jan. 4 in Kenosha. (Photo by Isiah
Holmes)

As part of the emergency declaration, specific zones for protest have
been established. During the last curfew, there was criticism that
enforcement of the curfew appeared selective and didn’t adequately
protect First Amendment rights. The American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU) of Wisconsin issued a statement reminding  the city of its 
mistakes in August 2020.

“Kenosha’s leaders have an important chance before them now,”
said Chris Ott, executive director of the ACLU of Wisconsin, “to
avoid repeating mistakes made last summer, when a heavy-handed
response by law enforcement made the situation worse and violated the
rights of those speaking up for justice.” The ACLU had numerous
legal observers on the ground during those nights.

In the wake of the charging decision, said Ott, “peaceful protesters
must be allowed to make their voices heard without fear of being
harassed, assaulted or mistreated by the officers who are charged with
protecting them. We hope that the Common Council recognizes
Kenosha’s deeply flawed response to past protests and works to
develop an approach that respects people’s constitutional rights
while also prioritizing de-escalation and equitable policing.”

As he prepared to march through Kenosha, Justin Blake had his own
message: “We do not want you to leave here not fully understanding
that the Blake family, one day, will get justice.”

_Isiah Holmes is a journalist and videographer, and a lifelong
resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Holmes' video work dates back to his
high school days at Wauwatosa East High, when he made a documentary
about the local police department. Since then, his writing has been
featured in Urban Milwaukee, Isthmus, Milwaukee Stories, Milwaukee
Neighborhood News Services, Pontiac Tribune, and other outlets._

_The WISCONSIN EXAMINER is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news site
offering a fresh perspective on politics and policy in our state._

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