Jacob Blake's seeking more than damages for being shot and paralyzed by a Kenosha PD officer ... he wants the entire department held accountable, and he's striving to make his community a safer place going forward.
Attorney B’Ivory LaMarr, part of Blake's legal team, tells TMZ ... Jacob's case is not just about a lawsuit, it's about social justice. They want the City of Kenosha and its police force to take responsibility for the shooting.
LaMarr says this can begin in the form of a public apology to Jacob, his family, and Kenosha residents who are still suffering from the incident. He adds ... "In 2021, accountability should be the expectation, not the exception."
Next, Blake's team is calling for the Kenosha PD to step up and initiate reform and make changes to its protocols ... such as requiring all officers to wear body cameras.
LaMarr says there's an adversarial relationship between cops in Kenosha and the community, so the PD also needs to open a line of dialogue with the people and implement racial bias training.
Lastly, Jacob's team believes the City of Kenosha should reach out to help his children who witnessed the shooting ... and address the trauma they experienced from watching him get shot just feet away.
As we reported ... Blake's suing the Kenosha officer Rusten Sheskey for excessive force in the August 2020 shooting that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Blake's going after Sheskey for unspecified damages and he wants a jury trial. Sheskey was not criminally charged for the incident.
We're told Jacob is still recovering at home and receiving 24-hour care.