Independent consultant to review Kenosha police shooting of Jacob Blake

NOW: Independent consultant to review Kenosha police shooting of Jacob Blake
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KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley announced Monday, Sept. 21, that the investigation of the officer-involved shooting of Jacob Blake is in its final stages.

According to a press release, AG Kaul has identified a consultant to review the investigative file and provide the district attorney with an analysis of the incident. The consultant identified by AG Kaul, who is being retained by DA Graveley, is Wisconsin native and retired Madison Police Chief Noble Wray.

The release says the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is in the final stages of its investigation, and it will soon provide the investigative file to Chief Wray. 

Officials say the next phase in this case will be Chief Wray’s review of the file and preparation of his analysis. Chief Wray’s analysis will assist the district attorney in his review of the facts and their relationship with standard law enforcement practices as he makes a charging decision.

“At the request of DA Graveley, I have identified an independent expert who can help ensure a just outcome in this case,” said Attorney General Kaul. “Noble Wray is a longtime Wisconsin resident and a widely respected retired Madison Police Chief who has extensive experience in law enforcement, including experience at the national level as a police reform specialist for the U.S. Department of Justice.”

When DCI is the lead investigating agency of a shooting involving a law enforcement officer, DCI aims to provide its reports of the incident to the prosecutor within 30 days, according to the DOJ. In this case, the prosecutor has directed that those reports be forwarded to a consultant for review and analysis. Following review and analysis by the consultant, the prosecutor will confer with the consultant, review the reports of the investigation, and then make an independent determination about what charges, if any, are appropriate. If the prosecutor determines there is no basis for prosecution of the law enforcement officer, and no other circumstances prevent the release, DCI will thereafter make the reports available to the public.

DCI is leading this investigation and is assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Wisconsin State Patrol and Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office. All involved law enforcement are fully cooperating with DCI during this investigation. The involved officers have been placed on administrative leave.

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