The Wisconsin officer who shot Jacob Blake last summer has returned to full duty, according to The Associated Press. District Attorney Michael Graveley stated in January that Officer Rusten Sheskey would not face criminal charges for shooting Blake in the back seven times in an August 23 incident that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Many protested in the streets last August, demanding Sheskey be terminated and face criminal charges for his actions. Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis, however, took to Twitter on Tuesday to say Officer Sheskey “acted within the law and was consistent with training… Officer Sheskey was found to have been acting within policy and will not be subjected to discipline.”
According to Miskinis, the August incident was investigated by an “outside agency,” reviewed by an independent expert and reviewed by the Kenosha County District Attorney. All three found Sheskey did not violate any policing policies.
The State Department also conducted an investigation and found that it could not disprove Officer Sheskey’s claim that he feared for his life because Blake was armed with a knife.
Last month, Blake filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Officer Sheskey for damages. Blake claims Officer Sheskey used deadly excessive force. Patrick Salvi Jr., one of Blake’s attorneys, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel it was surprising to hear that Sheskey returned to full duty. He added that he will prove in Blake’s lawsuit that Sheskey did not act in accordance with police training and policy.