Jacob Blake files excessive force lawsuit against officer

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Black man who was paralyzed after he was shot in the back by a white police officer in southeastern Wisconsin has filed an excessive force civil lawsuit.

Jacob Blake Jr. was shot by Kenosha Officer Rusten Sheskey in August while Blake was about to get into an SUV during a domestic dispute. Blake’s federal complaint against Sheskey, the only defendant, is seeking unspecified damages.

The shooting of Blake, captured on bystander video, turned the nation’s spotlight on Wisconsin during a summer marked by protests over police brutality and racism. Blake was shot three months after George Floyd died while being restrained by police officers in Minneapolis.

A prosecutor declined to pursue criminal charges against Sheskey.