Debunking The Internet Lies About Jacob Blake After The Kenosha Shooting

Not only has the shooting of Jacob Blake led to multiple protests across the country, but it has also led to countless false rumors about Blake, including salacious claims about his past, what led to the shooting, and more.

Listed below are a few myths that have been spread about Blake as well as the facts, which have been provided by legal documentation and reliable resources, that debunk them.

Myth:

Blake “was armed with a KNIFE."

Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly claimed on Twitter that Blake “was armed with a KNIFE," and that he ignored the commands of officers, instigating the reason of the escalated incident.

Fact:

On August 23, Blake, 29-years-old, was shot in the back at least seven times, paralyzing him from the waist down, by Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey. He was also tased by Officers Vincent Arenas and Brittany Meronek, who were also on the scene, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Also, according to Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul’s press release, Blake informed police that he had a knife in his car, which was recovered on the driver’s side of the floorboard. There were no additional weapons found in Blake’s vehicle.

Myth:

Police were initially called to the scene because Blake was breaking up a “domestic” fight between two women.

Fact:

According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, the situation started when a woman called the police and claimed, “her boyfriend was present and was not supposed to be on the premises.”

Myth:

Blake is a pedophile based on a Rhode Island warrant for third-degree assault in 2016.

On Facebook some have asked, why people are “defending a pedo.”

“You all defending a pedo…. a child rapist… shutting down sports for a f****ng pedo 😳 saying he was shot 7x in the back 😳 so what 🤷🏻‍♂️ he’s a f****ng pedo peeps. All sudden save the children don’t matter no more 🤷🏻‍♂️😳 are you f****ng kidding me 🤦🏻‍♂️ so you all going to buy him a 24k gold wheelchair,” read one defamatory post.

Fact:

People took an authentic Wisconsin warrant for Blake and embezzled it by referencing Rhode Island’s standards of the law.

Facebook has deleted many posts that include the false rumors after referencing back to Reuters, who cleared up the myth by pointing back to Blake’s legal records.

“According to the record, Blake has an arrest warrant filed against him on July 7, 2020, in Kenosha, Wisconsin for an incident involving domestic abuse that happened on May 3. The offenses listed are criminal trespass to dwelling, third-degree sexual assault, and disorderly conduct,” the outlet reported. “Under Wisconsin State Legislature visible here, sex with a minor is not within the definition of a third-degree sexual assault as it is in Rhode Island.”

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