Current:Home > ScamsKnife-wielding man fatally shot by out-of-state officers near Milwaukee's Republican National Convention-LoTradeCoin
Knife-wielding man fatally shot by out-of-state officers near Milwaukee's Republican National Convention
lotradecoin payoutschedule View Date:2024-12-25 12:38:59
Ohio police officers in Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention shot and killed a man who was wielding two knives near the convention, Milwaukee's police chief said Tuesday.
Five members of the Columbus, Ohio, police department fired on the man, who had a knife in each hand, refused police commands and charged at an unarmed man before police fired, Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference. Two knives were recovered from the scene, the chief said.
Police released body camera footage that showed officers on bikes talking before one of them says, "He's got a knife."
Several officers then yell "Drop the knife!" as they run toward two men standing in a street. When the armed man moved toward the unarmed man, police fired their weapons.
"Someone's life was in danger," Norman said. "These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someone's life today."
Thousands of officers from multiple jurisdictions are in Milwaukee providing additional security for the convention that began Monday and concludes Thursday.
The shooting fueled anger from residents who questioned why out-of-state officers were in their neighborhood located about a mile from the convention site.
The Columbus Division of Police, as well as the chief of staff for Milwaukee's mayor and a spokesperson for the convention's joint command center, all said there was nothing to suggest the shooting was related to the convention itself.
A cousin and others identified the man killed as 43-year-old Samuel Sharpe.
Milwaukee residents and activists quickly converged on the site of the shooting, many of them expressing outrage about the involvement of a police department in town because of the convention.
About 100 people held a vigil and march without incident on Tuesday night, pausing for a moment of silence at the blood-stained spot where Sharpe was killed.
"They came into our community and shot down our family right here at a public park," said Linda Sharpe, a cousin of the man who was killed. "What are you doing in our city, shooting people down?"
Linda Sharpe said her cousin lived in a tent encampment across the street from King Park, where the shooting occurred.
Residents said the encampment was a long-standing feature of the neighborhood, which is home to several social service clinics and a shelter. Some said Milwaukee police officers are familiar with many of those living in the tents and might have been able to deescalate the situation.
David Porter, who said he knew Samuel Sharpe and is also homeless, was angry that officers from outside of Milwaukee were in his neighborhood.
"If MPD would have been there, that man would still be alive right now," Porter said, referring to Milwaukee police.
Norman, the Milwaukee chief, said 13 officers who were part of a bicycle patrol from Columbus were within their assigned zone having a meeting when they saw the altercation.
"The officers observed a subject armed with a knife in each hand, engaged in an altercation with another unarmed individual," Norman said. They only fired after the armed man ignored multiple commands and moved toward the unarmed man, the chief said.
"This is a situation where somebody's life was in immediate danger," Norman said.
The Columbus Division of Police has received attention because of its special unit deployed to Milwaukee that works to improve police-community relationships and had a visible role in guiding the largely uneventful protests on Monday.
The shooting happened near King Park, roughly a mile from the convention center, where a small group of protesters gathered before marching on Monday. That demonstration was followed by dozens of Columbus police officers, wearing blue vests that read: "Columbus Police Dialogue."
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office said an autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.
- In:
- Milwaukee
- Republican National Convention
- 2024 Elections
veryGood! (44)
Related
- Drew Barrymore Addresses Criticism Over Her Touchiness With Talk Show Guests
- Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes’ Latest Reunion Will Have You Saying My Oh My
- Telemedicine abortions just got more complicated for health providers
- Today’s Climate: June 7, 2010
- 'September 5' depicts shocking day when terrorism arrived at the Olympics
- Astrud Gilberto, The Girl from Ipanema singer who helped popularize bossa nova, dead at 83
- COVID Risk May Be Falling, But It's Still Claiming Hundreds Of Lives A Day
- J&J tried to block lawsuits from 40,000 cancer patients. A court wants answers
- Mega Millions winning numbers for Tuesday, Dec. 10 drawing: $619 million lottery jackpot
- Pippa Middleton Makes Rare Public Appearance at King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s Coronation
Ranking
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- How Biden's declaring the pandemic 'over' complicates efforts to fight COVID
- How a Texas court decision threatens Affordable Care Act protections
- Calif. Lawmakers Rush to Address Methane Leak’s Dangers
- What Americans think about Hegseth, Gabbard and key Trump Cabinet picks AP
- Why King Charles III Didn’t Sing British National Anthem During His Coronation
- Pregnant Bachelor Nation Star Becca Kufrin Reveals Sex of First Baby With Fiancé Thomas Jacobs
- Trump’s EPA Skipped Ethics Reviews for Several New Advisers, Government Watchdog Finds
Recommendation
-
Stock market today: Asian shares advance, tracking rally on Wall Street
-
How to show your friends you love them, according to a friendship expert
-
J&J tried to block lawsuits from 40,000 cancer patients. A court wants answers
-
See Every Guest at King Charles III and Queen Camilla's Coronation
-
When is the 'Survivor' Season 47 finale? Here's who's left; how to watch and stream part one
-
Katy Perry Upgrades Her California Gurl Style at King Charles III’s Coronation
-
Today’s Climate: June 17, 2010
-
What happened on D-Day? A timeline of June 6, 1944