Attorney General Barr incorrectly claims Jacob Blake was 'armed' when he was shot by police

Mr Blake's attorneys claim police put bystanders at risk during shooting

Graig Graziosi
1 day ago

US Attorney General William Barr claimed in an interview that Jacob Blake was "committing a felony and armed" when Kenosha police officers shot him in the back seven times.

Mr Barr made the comment during a CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer. He appeared on the show a day after visiting Kenosha , where protests have raged in the wake of the shooting that left Mr Blake paralysed and recovering in hospital.

The attorney general attempted to draw distinctions between the police killings of George Floyd and Mr Blake.

"What's different?" Blitzer asked.

That's when Mr Barr suggested Mr Blake had a weapon.

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Though Mr Blake did have a knife in his car, there is no evidence available that supports the claim that he was armed or suggests that his intention was to grab his knife and use it against police officers.

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