Advertisement

Sexual assault charge against Jacob Blake dismissed in plea bargain agreement

David K. Li

A sexual assault charge against Jacob Blake, the Black man shot in the back by police in August, touching off weeks of protests in Wisconsin, was dropped on Friday, according to court records.

Appearing via Zoom,Blake pleaded guilty to two counts of disorderly conduct and domestic abuse and was sentenced to two years of probation, Kenosha County court records showed.

Image: Jacob Blake (Facebook)

In the deal, one count of criminal trespassing and one count of third-degree sexual assault and domestic abuse were dropped.

The charges stem from an incident in May, which occurred before police confronted him on Aug. 23. A bystander's cell phone video from the police incident appeared to show Blake trying to walk away from officers before he was shot at close range in the back.

Rusten Sheskey was identified as the officer who shot Blake.

The sexual assault charge stemmed from an incident in May, which was believed to be the reason for his attempted arrest by Kenosha police officers in August.

Blake previously pleaded not guilty to trespassing, sexual assault, and disorderly conduct. The three charges are related to an incident at the home of Blake's girlfriend.

His trial had been set to begin on Monday.

Blake's lawyer and the prosecutor overseeing the case could not be immediately reached for comment late Friday afternoon.

The police shooting of Blake touched off days of protests against police brutality and systemic racism.

Prosecutors say Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Antioch, Illinois, came to Kenosha during the protests and opened fire on two men, Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, killing them both and wounding a third man, Gaige Grosskreutz.

Rittenhouse has been charged with two counts of felony homicide in addition to attempted homicide, possession of a dangerous weapon while under the age of 18 and reckless endangerment, court records show.

Defense lawyers have said Rittenhouse acted in self-defense and that he was there to try to protect businesses.

Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting.

What to Read Next