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The Department of Justice announced Wednesday that federal prosecutors and the FBI have opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha police officer.

The big picture: Blake was left paralyzed from the waist down following the Aug. 23 shooting. The incident triggered a wave of protests in Kenosha, in the latest demonstration against police brutality and racism.

Federal prosecutors launch civil rights probe into Jacob Blake's shooting

Blake was left paralyzed from the waist down after the shooting.

Demonstrators march through the city during a protest in New York August 24

Demonstrators march through the city during a Sunday protest in New York City over the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

Politics

Jacob Blake

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Department of Justice announced" data-vars-click-url="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwi/pr/us-department-justice-confirms-federal-civil-rights-investigation-shooting-mr-jacob" data-vars-content-id="bbb2f1d2-426c-4a8a-84d9-134500fc0f50" data-vars-headline="Federal prosecutors launch civil rights probe into Jacob Blake&#x27;s shooting" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwi/pr/us-department-justice-confirms-federal-civil-rights-investigation-shooting-mr-jacob" target="_blank">Department of Justice announced</a> Wednesday that federal prosecutors and the FBI have opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha police officer.The big picture: Blake <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="was left paralyzed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/wisconsin-police-shooting-black-man-kenosha-curfew-ebc2e282-de55-4c62-b9e9-7a4648dad22c.html" data-vars-content-id="bbb2f1d2-426c-4a8a-84d9-134500fc0f50" data-vars-headline="Federal prosecutors launch civil rights probe into Jacob Blake&#x27;s shooting" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/wisconsin-police-shooting-black-man-kenosha-curfew-ebc2e282-de55-4c62-b9e9-7a4648dad22c.html" target="_self">was left paralyzed</a> from the waist down following the Aug. 23 shooting. The incident triggered a wave of protests in Kenosha, in the latest demonstration against police brutality and racism.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Federal prosecutors launch civil rights probe into Jacob Blake's shooting

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