The Patriot Post® · Here We Go Again — More Demo/BLM Race Bait in Kenosha
In Kenosha, Wisconsin, police responded to a domestic dispute call because a man, Jacob Blake, was in violation of a restraining order related to a July 6 criminal complaint filed against him by a female victim. That complaint included felony “Third Degree Sexual Assault” and “Domestic Abuse.” He was prohibited from going to the home of the woman who filed the charges, but disregarded that restraining order. Police had a warrant for his arrest.
When police arrived, Blake refused lawful orders and resisted arrest, fighting with the officers and putting one in a headlock while shrugging off the other. Blake had a knife and witnesses heard officers demand he drop the knife, which he did not. He was tased but that didn’t stop him and he attempted to flee. He attempted to reach into his vehicle – while his young children were in the back seat, putting their lives in danger. The officer right behind him tried again to stop Blake, but he would not comply, posing an imminent threat to officers and others present. He was shot multiple times and is in critical but stable condition. A knife was found on the floor of the car, which he likely dropped there once shot.
As with all police-involved shootings, this incident triggered an investigation, the outcome of which would likely have never made the news. However, in this case, once again the suspect was black and the officers were white. So here we go again…
As I have noted before, having spent the early years of my career as a uniformed police officer, I view these incidents from a different perspective — one of having faced many situations where an individual could, in a split second, produce a deadly weapon and end my life or that of my partner or others in the area. That risk these days, particularly given the brazen disregard for law and order fomented by Democrats and their Marxist burn, loot, and murder BLM mobs, is much higher.
I am very reluctant to accept, without substantial review, the mainstream media’s click-bait ad-revenue-driven narrative on racially charged cases. But regarding George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, I didn’t need to see additional body cam recordings to determine the circumstances of his death implied negligence on the part of at least one officer — and we reported that immediately after his death. He was handcuffed, there were three other officers (of various races) present, and additional officers were on the way. Floyd appeared compliant, posed no further threat to the officers or bystanders, and indicated he was distressed and having trouble breathing.
However, we now know that Floyd’s autopsy determined that his “blood contained a fatal level of fentanyl,” and that, combined with methamphetamine, caused Floyd’s lungs to fill with fluid – which is why he could not breathe. It is likely he would have died on the scene regardless of whether he was being held on the ground or in the patrol car.
But the Kenosha case is NOT the Minneapolis case. The circumstances in Kenosha appear to be justifiable despite being tragic. The optics of shooting someone from behind are never good, but in the next split second the officer could have been shot, and in context, the officer’s actions appear justified.
Predictably, Wisconsin Demo Governor Tony Evers tried and convicted the cops: “Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. While we do not have all of the details yet [emphasis added], what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country. We stand against excessive use of force and immediate escalation when engaging with Black Wisconsinites. … In the coming days, we will demand just that of elected officials in our state who have failed to recognize the racism in our state and our country for far too long.”
“While we do not have all of the details yet.” Disgracefully, Evers did not wait to convict the cops, and his words, as with those of Democrat leaders in other cities, is a major contributing factor of the resulting violence. Those riots might better be described now as “Trump victory campaign rallies.”
The Kenosha Professional Police Association provided factual details of the Blake incident, disputing the Democrat and Leftmedia narrative: “The recent officer-involved shooting in Kenosha has produced a variety of feelings and narratives; most of which are wholly inaccurate. The purely fictional depiction of events coming from those without direct knowledge of what actually occurred is incredibly harmful, and provides no benefit to anyone whatsoever, other than to perpetuate a misleading narrative.” The report details the fact that Blake was threatening the woman in question, he had a knife, he fought with officers, and his disregard for demands he drop his weapon, resulted in his being shot “in the back” as the MSM has said repeatedly.
Of course, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris joined in: “Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back as police attempted to restrain him from getting into his car. … This morning, the nation wakes up yet again with grief and outrage that yet another Black American is a victim of excessive force. … We must dismantle systemic racism.”
Jacob Blake’s blood, and that of thousands of black Americans who are killing each other, and on rare occasions being killed by police, is on the hands of those Democrats fomenting such violence under the lie of “systemic racism.”
One notable person who did condemn the violence was Blake’s mother, Julia Jackson: “As his mother, please don’t burn up property and cause havoc and tear your own homes down in my son’s name. You shouldn’t do it. People shouldn’t do it anyway, but to use my child or any other mother or father’s child, our tragedy to react in that manner is just not acceptable.”
Finally, apparently crime does pay – a Go Fund Me account set up to support Blake has raised almost $2.2 million toward a goal of raising three million. Thus, every “woke” donor sending a dollar to that fund, is supporting a violent sexual assailant, according to his female victim. Blake, like George Floyd, is being canonized and deified by the Left as anhero. NBA, MLB and NHL teams are calling off games to “honor” Blake.
Not a word of support for Blake’s victim…
For some perspective on how deadly these encounters can become in a split second, below is a video of a traffic stop by two Pennsylvania State Police. The suspect was badly impaired, became violent, did not respond to lawful orders or being tased, and managed to get back to his vehicle where he grabbed a weapon and shot both officers. This is the reality of split-second decisions with a suspect who will not obey lawful orders. (The video is graphic and may require that you affirm your age to view it.)
Update In October of 2021, the officer who shot Blake has been exonerated both by state and federal prosecutors.