Police in Atlanta, Georgia arrested 22 people who were protesting the decision to not bring charges against the officer who shot Jacob Blake.
According to a report by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, protesters gathered in downtown Atlanta, near the Centennial Olympic Park.
On Tuesday (January 5), Wisconsin District Attorney Michael Graveley declined to bring charges against Officer Rusten Sheskey who shot Blake seven times in the back on August 23.
Graveley said an investigation found that Blake, 29, was in possession of a knife when authorities responded to a call that he was attempting to steal a car.
Sheskey told investigators he “feared Jacob Blake was going to stab him” while he attempted to stop Blake from leaving the scene.
Video of the shooting went viral and sparked ongoing national outrage after months of protests following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others at the hands of police.
Attorney Ben Crump is representing the Blake family and said the decision “further destroys trust in our justice system.”
Crump also inquired how Sheskey could be threatened given the video evidence: “nowhere does the video footage show a knife extended and aimed to establish the requisite intent.”
Atlanta Police Department spokesperson Officer Tashenna Brown told reporters the number of those arrested at the protest could increase. Information on the charges the protesters face wasn’t released.
Nearby, at Georgia’s Capitol building, a group of Trump supporters gathered to protest the certification of Joe Biden’s victory. The group reportedly remained peaceful, after calls from Georgia Governor Brian Kemp came to denounce the violence and warned against similar attacks in the Peach State.
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