Here & Now

Attorney General Josh Kaul on the Kenosha Shooting

Frederica Freyberg:

The state Department of Justice is investigating the shooting of Jacob Blake and Attorney General Josh Kaul joins us now. Thanks very much for being here.

Josh Kaul:

Thanks for having me.

Frederica Freyberg:

So you have been swift to provide investigative detail to the public. How important is that in your mind in the midst of the angst and anguish in Kenosha that has spread really all across the country?

Josh Kaul:

We want to be as open and transparent and as you said, swift in providing details about this investigation to the public as we can be. But that also has to be balanced against our primary priority which is to make sure that this investigation is full and thorough. So we’re not going to be releasing any information that in any way might undermine our ability to conduct that kind of investigation. But to the extent that we can do that consistent with making sure the investigation is full and thorough, we want to do so.

Frederica Freyberg:

What is the latest status on your investigation into the police officer who shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back and the other officers involved? For example, have you determined why the officer would shoot and was Jacob Blake armed?

Josh Kaul:

The investigation is moving forward quickly. We have conducted several material witness interviews, for example. Evidence has been sent to the crime labs for analysis. I’m not going to comment on some of the specifics on facts that are probably going to be disputed facts at the center of this case. But we are working to move the investigation quickly so that a decision can be made and we can move forward as appropriate.

Frederica Freyberg:

For example, you were releasing today that officers tried to use Tasers on Jacob Blake and they failed. Also, that there was a knife in the floorboards of his car. Are those accurate things that you have released so far?

Josh Kaul:

That’s right. We’ve been releasing information that we think is clearly established based on the facts from our investigation. But we also only released that information once we believed it was appropriate based on the interviews that had been conducted. We’re going to keep doing that as we move forward, because we want to keep people informed to the extent we can. But I also — it’s also critically important to the investigation that we only do so in a way that’s consistent with keeping that investigation full and thorough.

Frederica Freyberg:

How long do you expect your probe to continue and when might this case then be handed over to Kenosha County for any charging decisions?

Josh Kaul:

I don’t have a specific date. What I can tell you is we’re going to continue moving forward as swiftly as we can consistent with making sure that the investigation is conducted with the kind of integrity it needs to be.

Frederica Freyberg:

Will you then make a recommendation to the DA on what they charge?

Josh Kaul:

Our practice in these cases is not to make a recommendation to the district attorney as to whether there should be charges brought or not, but instead to present the information as fully as we can be. Our goal in this case, as in any case, is to vigorously pursue justice and get to the truth of all the relevant facts.

Frederica Freyberg:

I know that this other case that we’re about to talk about is being charged by Kenosha County. But as to the fatal shooting of two demonstrators in the midst of the protest by an Illinois teenage vigilante armed with an AR-15, what is your response to that?

Josh Kaul:

Well I thought that that event was despicable. We have seen violence and arson and destruction of things in the city of Kenosha. And that needs to stop. Fortunately, we have seen a few nights now of peaceful protesting rather than the kind of violence and destruction we had seen. But the people of Kenosha have been through very traumatic events, need to have the opportunity to grieve, to come together, to raise the issues that they want to raise, to protest peacefully, without having people who are in many cases from outside of Kenosha and even outside of Wisconsin, as the shooter who you just mentioned is, coming in to try to create chaos in the city of Kenosha.

Frederica Freyberg:

Is it your understanding that these are organized groups or somehow spurred by organized groups to move into these kinds of situations?

Josh Kaul:

As you said, the Kenosha County DA is the one prosecuting this case, but I’ve certainly seen reports indicating that there were efforts to organize people online and extremist violence by militia groups or white supremacists is a real issue. IT is — there have been incidents of domestic terrorism. We need to make sure our law enforcement entities, including the federal government, are vigorously investigating those cases and, where appropriate, bringing prosecutions.

Frederica Freyberg:

Josh Kaul, thanks very much.

Josh Kaul:

Thanks for having me.