Reverence Lost In The Case of Jacob Blake
The Jacob Blake shooting that occurred the evening of Sunday, August 23, 2020, in Kenosha, Wisconsin has caused a continued national discussion of the police shooting of what appears to be another unarmed Black man, a shooting that occurred in front of his three children 3, 5 and 8 years of age respectively. As a police procedure expert, I have analyzed now two videos of this incident, that covers both sides of Mr. Blake’s SUV.
Based upon my analysis of the two available videos, I did not see anything that warranted the use of lethal force. Further, I do not observe anything that would justify the officers drawing their weapons on Mr. Blake. Reverence for life is a law enforcement standard all across the country and written in every department manual nationwide. In the discussion of reverence for life the discussion of lethal force and the usage of lethal force as a last resort. It is time that these policies leave the printed page and are acted out in police-citizen contacts.
Reverence for life is a Core Value, not just a platitude to be discussed in press conferences following a tragic event at the hands of law enforcement. The shooting of Jacob Blake from the two videos that were released to the public are not examples of an imminent threat that warrants the usage of lethal force. These videos are not an example of last resort, and it is not an example of reverence for life.
