Kenosha braces for potential unrest as DA considers charges in Jacob Blake shooting
KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Kenosha activists and the family of Jacob Blake are holding a rally on Monday, Jan. 4 as they wait to find out whether the police officer who shot Blake seven times will be charged.
On Monday, the Kenosha Common Council will take up a resolution declaring an emergency following Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley's decision.
The resolution says, "in a phone call with the Mayor on December 29, 2020, the Kenosha County District Attorney said that he would release his charging decision to the public within the first two weeks of January 2021."
City and county officials aren't saying what date the decision to file charges will come down.
The resolution also cites violence that happened in Wauwatosa after a charging decision was made in the case of Office Joseph Mensah.
Kenosha business owners are bracing for the possibility of unrest this week.
"The rumor mill started flying in town," said Kevin Ervin, co-owner of Franks Diner. "What we're going to do is Monday, at the end of the day, we're probably going to put our boards back up on our windows and hope for the best."
In August, cell phone video captured the moment Officer Rusten Sheskey shot Blake seven times in the back.
"Anybody who's looked at the video that was seen in August around the world could have come to a determination that human rights and civil rights and laws were broken," Blake's uncle, Justin Blake, told CBS 58 in a Zoom interview on Saturday, Jan. 2.
Blake's uncle said he wants Sheskey fired from the Kenosha Police Department and indicted.
"If you could say one thing right now to the Kenosha County DA, what would you say?" CBS 58's Rose Schmidt asked him.
"That we understand justice takes time. But this has been just ridiculous and very hard on the Blake family and extremely hard on the citizens of Kenosha," Justin Blake said.
"Justice for Jacob" will hold a march for justice and candlelight vigil on Monday at 4:30 at 1345 52nd Street in Kenosha.
"We advocate for non-violence, but it is our right to protest and march and have our voices heard," said Tanya McLean, executive director of Leaders of Kenosha.
Business owners are just asking for that to be done with peace in mind.
"Either way the verdict goes, someone's going to be upset, and we just hope that whatever faction is upset decides to be peaceful and calm, logical and go forward that way," Ervin said.
He also said he hopes people from out-of-town do not come to Kenosha to incite violence, similar to what the city experienced in August.
"Hopefully now, it's not summer. It's winter. The weather's crappy. It's cold. No one wants to come out and do anything. Hopefully that's going to keep people away," Ervin said.