Jacob Blake put officer in headlock, had knife during struggle with police BEFORE walking to driver's side of vehicle

In a full-throated defense of the officers' conduct, union attorney Brendan Matthews said Blake refused to follow commands and violently resisted, despite being tasered twice, and at one point put an officer in a headlock.

"The officers first saw him holding the knife while they were on the passenger side of the vehicle," he said.

It is unclear from Matthews' statement when the knife would have been drawn by Blake, before or after the fight on the ground.

Officers repeatedly ordered Blake to drop the knife, but he did not comply, he said.

"None of the officers involved wished for things to transpire the way it did. It is my hope that truth and transparency will help begin and aid in the healing process," Matthews said.

The officers are on paid administrative leave during the investigation, which will be completed in a month. It then goes to the Kenosha County district attorney who will decide if the shooting was justified or if any charges should be issued.

The union attorney statement criticized the information released by Blake's attorneys and even the state Department of Justice, which is staffed by several former veteran Milwaukee Police Department supervisors.

The DOJ's statement Friday "is riddled with incomplete information, and omits important details that would help to paint a more complete picture of the incident," Matthews said.

[link to www.jsonline.com (secure)]