DeKALB – Local protesters are planning to demonstrate outside of the DeKalb Police Department Friday in solidarity with 29-year-old Jacob Blake, a Black man shot seven times in the back by a Kenosha police officer Sunday.
Video of the incident circulating on social media this week shows Blake was shot outside his car by Rusten Sheskey, a white Kenosha police officer identified Wednesday by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Blake’s three young children were in his car at the time of the shooting.
The protest is set for 3 p.m. outside the DeKalb department, 700 W. Lincoln Highway Friday, according to posts on social media.
The shooting of Blake on Sunday in Kenosha ignited new protests over racial injustice in several cities, coming just three months after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police touched off a wider reckoning on race.
An arrest was made Wednesday in connection to a deadly shooting which occurred on the third night of protests in Kenosha, and Illinois teen Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, of Antioch, was charged with murder after two were killed in the shooting.
Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in connection to the deaths of two who were at the protest. The gunfire was reported just before midnight, and Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said one victim was shot in the head and another in the chest, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The third victim’s wounds were not believed to be life threatening.
Local demonstrations on racial discrimination and policing across DeKalb County began May 30 spurred by the death of George Floyd, and have continued throughout the summer, including daily for more than a month.
As a result of local calls for reform, the City of DeKalb announced the DeKalb Police Department will be restructured in addition to other changes, including editing language in policy regarding use of force techniques, updating the ‘standards of conduct’ policy for officers to include a ‘duty to intervene’ clause, and committing to equip all officers with body-worn cameras.
Many of the local changes have been implemented and don’t require City Council approval, according to city documents. The restructuring of the police department will designate all operations under two categories – community services and violence prevention – and require negotiations with the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 115 union and budget revisions, documents show.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: The Daily Chronicle
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