Ohio police officers in Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention A man was shot and killed while brandishing two knives near the convention, Milwaukee’s police chief said Tuesday.
Five Columbus, Ohio, police officers shot the man, who had a knife in each hand, refused to obey police commands and charged an unarmed man before police fired, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference. Two knives were recovered at the scene, the chief said.
Police released body camera footage showing officers on bikes talking before one of them says: “He’s got a knife.”
Several officers then shouted “Drop the knife!” as they ran toward two men standing in the street. When the armed man moved toward the unarmed man, the officers opened fire.
Alex Brandon/AP
“Someone’s life was in danger,” Norman said. “These officers, who were not from the area, took it upon themselves to step up and save someone’s life today.”
Thousands of officers from multiple jurisdictions are in Milwaukee to provide extra security during the convention, which began Monday and ends Thursday.
The shooting fueled anger among residents who questioned why out-of-state police officers were in their neighborhood, located about a mile from the convention site.
The Columbus Division of Police, as well as the Milwaukee mayor’s chief of staff and a spokesman for the convention’s Joint Command Center, all said there was no evidence to suggest the shooting was connected to the convention itself.
A cousin and others identified the slain man as Samuel Sharpe, 43.
Milwaukee residents and activists quickly gathered at the scene of the shooting, many expressing outrage over the involvement of a city police department due to the convention.
About 100 people held an uneventful vigil and march Tuesday night, observing a minute of silence at the blood-stained spot where Sharpe was killed.
“They came into our neighborhood and shot our family right here in a public park,” said Linda Sharpe, a cousin of the slain man. “What are you doing in our city, shooting people?”
Linda Sharpe said her cousin lived in a tent encampment across 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 services clinics and a shelter. Some said Milwaukee police officers know many of those living in the tents and could have defused the situation.
David Porter, who said he knows Samuel Sharpe and is also homeless, was angry that police officers from outside Milwaukee were in his neighborhood.
“If Milwaukee police had been here, that man would still be alive today,” Porter said, referring to Milwaukee police.
Norman, the Milwaukee police chief, said 13 officers who were part of a Columbus bike patrol were in their assigned area during a meeting when they saw the altercation.
“Officers observed an individual armed with a knife in each hand engaged in an altercation with another unarmed individual,” Norman said. They only fired when the armed man ignored multiple commands and moved toward the unarmed man, the chief said.
“This was a situation where someone’s life was in immediate danger,” Norman said.
The Columbus Division of Police has drawn attention for its special unit deployed to Milwaukee that works to improve police-community relations and played a visible role in guiding Monday’s largely incident-free protests.
The shooting happened near King Park, about a mile from the convention center, where a small group of protesters had gathered before marching Monday. That demonstration was attended by dozens of Columbus police officers wearing blue vests that read, “Columbus Police Dialogue.”
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office said an autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.
