MILWAUKEE — Five Ohio police officers in Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention shot and killed a man involved in a knife fight near the convention, Milwaukee’s police chief said Tuesday.
The man shot and killed by Columbus, Ohio, police officers had a knife in each hand and refused to obey commands, Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference. Two knives were found at the scene, the chief said.
“Someone’s life was in danger,” Norman said. “These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to go into action today and save someone’s life.”
Thousands of police officers from multiple jurisdictions are in Milwaukee to provide additional security for the convention, which begins Monday and ends Thursday.
The shooting sparked anger among residents who questioned why out-of-state officers were in their neighborhood, which is about a mile from the convention site.
Columbus police, the Milwaukee mayor’s chief of staff and a spokesman for the congressional joint command center all said there was no indication the shooting was related to the convention itself.
Milwaukee residents and activists quickly gathered at the scene of the shooting, many of them expressing outrage over the involvement of a city police department because of the convention. Dozens of police officers stood behind police tape at the scene and refused to answer questions about what had happened.
“They came to our community and shot our family right here in a public park,” said Linda Sharpe, a cousin of the man who was killed. “What are you doing in our town, shooting people?”
Sharpe said her cousin, whom she identified as Samuel Sharpe, lived in a tent encampment across the street from King Park, where the shooting occurred.
According to residents, the man was a well-known figure among locals and others living in and around the camp.
Kenneth Johnson, a volunteer with Friends Without Shelter, said he often delivered food to the man and others living in the tents. He wondered what an out-of-state agent was doing at that location.
“They shouldn’t have jurisdiction to be in this area. This is nowhere near where the zones are,” Johnson said. “These are tent communities here, they shouldn’t be here.”
In a statement, Columbus police said the shooting occurred “within the operational area to which our officers were assigned.”
The Columbus Police Department has received attention for the special task force sent to Milwaukee that works to improve police-community relations and played a visible role in guiding the largely inconspicuous protests on Monday.
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 followed by dozens of Columbus police officers wearing blue vests that read “Columbus Police Dialogue.”
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office reported that an adult male had been shot to death. An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.
Milwaukee police did not respond to an email requesting more details about Tuesday’s shooting.
___
This story has been corrected to reflect that the Columbus Police Department, not the Fraternal Order of Police, said Columbus officers were operating within their assigned area.