Kenosha officials say Jacob Blake police shooting decision to be announced within next couple weeks

Jacob Blake protesters lit buildings on fire in Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States on August 24, 2020. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Kenosha city officials are preparing for fallout once prosecutors decide whether to charge a police officer for the shooting of a Black man.

Jacob Blake was shot and seriously wounded by officer Rusten Sheskey on Aug. 23. The shooting was followed by days of unrest. There was also a second shooting incident, in which Kyle Rittenhouse, a teenager from Illinois, came to the city and killed two men during a protest.

Mayor John Antaramian said that the district attorney's decision is likely to be announced within the first two weeks of January.

Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis is working with other partners to protect peaceful demonstration and to guard against unlawful activity. The city plans include:

  • Designation of a demonstration space
  • Limitations on city bus routes
  • Road closures
  • Curfew
  • Protective fencing

Damage from the unrest that followed the police shooting is estimated at $11 million. Some businesses that were targeted were burned to the ground.

President Trump visited Kenosha after the unrest and said that it was a sign that people "want to see law and order."