Jacob Blake admits he was holding knife before being shot by Kenosha police

Kenosha resident Jacob Blake has admitted that he was holding a knife during the altercation with police last summer that ended with his being shot and which quickly led to a wave of deadly violence in that city.

In August, a Kenosha police officer shot Blake seven times in the back during a struggle in which officers were attempting to place Blake under arrest. Police said that Blake was armed with a knife at the time of the incident and that he refused to drop it.

In an interview with ABC News this week, Blake confirmed that at one point he was holding a knife during his fight with police.

“I realized I had dropped my knife, had a little pocket knife,” Blake told the news network. “So I picked it up after I got off of him because they Tased me and I fell on top of him.”

“I shouldn't have picked it up only considering what was going on, you know? At that time, I wasn't thinking clearly,” he added.

Blake told the network he was intending to put the knife in his car and then surrender to police. When he opened his car door, however, the officer shot him multiple times.

He is currently confined to a wheelchair but is undergoing physical therapy in the hopes of being able to walk again.