In a press conference on August 26, 2020, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said that a knife was recovered from the driver-side front floorboard of the car Blake was leaning into when he was shot in the back. Kaul also said that Blake “admitted that he had a knife in his possession.” The prosecutor who oversaw the investigation said that Blake admitted to holding a knife and that statements from officers and witnesses had indicated that Blake turned towards officer Sheskey with the knife immediately before the shooting.According to Blake, he intended to put the knife in the SUV and then lie on the ground to submit to the police officers and that he "wasn't thinking clearly" and picked up a knife during the altercation, but denied having the intent to use it. Medical aftermath for Blake Blake was flown to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. His father announced on August 25 that Blake was paralyzed from the waist down and that doctors do not yet know if it would be permanent. He also suffered a gunshot wound to one arm and damage to his stomach, kidney, and liver; he had to have most of his small intestines and colon removed. Blake was initially handcuffed to his hospital bed and guarded by two officers due to an outstanding warrant. The handcuffs were removed and the officers stopped guarding Blake after he posted bond. As of August 2021, Blake told in an interview that he was able to take a few steps, "which he compared to sliding his legs through a woodchipper", and that he was suffering from anxiety attacks. Investigation and legal proceedings Kenosha police referred the investigation of the shooting to the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation. The investigation's findings went to district attorney Michael D. Graveley, the local official responsible for deciding whether to bring charges against the officers. Graveley stated on August 25, 2020, that the investigation was in "its earliest stages". On the same day, the United States Department of Justice also announced an investigation into the shooting. The investigation would look into whether Blake's civil rights were violated. In October 2021, the Department of Justice announced it will not pursue federal civil rights charges against the officer, citing insufficient evidence that proves the officer willfully violated federal civil rights statutes. Blake's family retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who also represented the families of Trayvon