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Were they a threat? Police shootings reignite legal debate
Wisconsin authorities are investigating those questions as they weigh charges against the officer in a case that has reignited national protests over racial injustice. Authorities have not identified the officer or officers who shot Pellerin or said where or how many times he was shot. A union attorney said in the moments leading up to the shooting, officers saw Blake holding a knife and made multiple requests for him to drop it but he was uncooperative. After police tried twice unsuccessfully to use a stun gun on Blake, officer Rusten Sheskey shot him at close range while holding onto his shirt, authorities said. Yet, the tactics used by the officer who shot Blake are highly questionable, said Seth Stoughton, another former officer.