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The Big Lies › 2020 › File PF-0184
Debunked

Jacob Blake Described as 'Unarmed'

Coverage of the Kenosha police shooting described Jacob Blake as an unarmed Black man.

First reported Aug 25, 2020 · Democracy Now!, The Washington Post, ESPN
Screenshot of the original report as published
Screenshot of the report as published: democracynow.org. Tap to open the source.
Who it helped: Democrats

The 'unarmed' framing strengthened the police-violence narrative behind the 2020 protests.

What was reported

Coverage of the Kenosha police shooting described Jacob Blake as an unarmed Black man.

What actually happened

Police had said from the start that officers yelled about a knife. In January 2021, the Kenosha County district attorney declined charges, saying Blake held a knife and had admitted having it. The Washington Post corrected a story and deleted a tweet that called him unarmed that same day, and ESPN issued a correction in April 2021 after repeating the claim.

The proof

The Kenosha County DA's January 5, 2021 findings, including Blake's own admission that he had a knife.

The receipt. Copy this and paste it anywhere:

Jacob Blake Described as 'Unarmed' — Debunked. The Kenosha County DA's January 5, 2021 findings, including Blake's own admission that he had a knife. Full file: https://www.thepropagandafiles.com/case/jacob-blake-unarmed/

Original reporting

Corrections, findings & records

Archived copies

Stories get edited after publication. These open the Internet Archive's earliest saved copy of each original.

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