Hours after a Wisconsin prosecutor declined to file charges against a police officer who shot Jacob Blake, Marquette men's basketball announced they would wear Black basketball uniforms in support of Blake, his family and Kenosha.
"We are extremely disappointed in the decision involving Jacob's shooting and we will continue to use our platform to advocate and fight for racial justice," the program said in a statement. "This is another reminder that just because racial and social injustice hasn't received as much attention recently, doesn't mean the need to fight against it has gone away."
The shooting occurred on Aug. 23, 2020, three months after George Floyd died while being violently restrained by police officers in Minneapolis. Floyd's death sparked protests across the world as the Black Lives Matter movement fought and advocated for racial and social justice.
Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley said that investigators determined that Blake had a knife when police responded to a report of someone trying to steal a car. Officer Rusten Sheskey said he “feared Jacob Blake was going to stab him with the knife."
In the wake of the shooting, NBA and WNBA players—including the Milwaukee Bucks—elected not to play in several games in protest. As of Tuesday evening, the Bucks had not indicated whether they would play Wednesday's game.
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