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KENOSHA, Washington: Jacob Blake, the 29-year-old black man whose shooting by a white police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, reignited protests across the country over racism and police brutality, pleaded not guilty Friday (September 4 ) of the criminal charges filed earlier. to filming.
A complaint charges Blake with burglary, third degree sexual assault and disorderly conduct based on statements from his ex-girlfriend at the time, the mother of three of his children, who told police that Blake broke into his home on May 3 and sexually assaulted her. her before stealing her truck and debit card.
Blake pleaded guilty through his attorney during a live-streamed court hearing, his first public appearance since he was shot in the back by a white Kenosha police officer on August 23.
Blake, who was paralyzed from the waist down from the shooting, was propped up on his hospital bed, dressed in a blue shirt and yellow tie, with his attorney, Patrick Cafferty, sitting in a chair next to him.
Cafferty noted that Blake had been working as a painter and had no criminal record or convictions in any state.
Blake raised his hand to greet Loren Keating, a Kenosha County Judicial Court Commissioner, when he was addressed and said “Yes sir” when asked if he could hear clearly and if he understood the terms of his signed bond. $ 10,000.
“The state recognizes that these are serious charges, but also that the defendant has serious injuries and is recovering in hospital,” said Zeke Wiedenfeld, prosecutor.
The court set the start of the trial on November 9 with the selection of the jury. The complaint does not identify the ex-girlfriend by name.
