Knife-wielding man shot dead near Republican National Convention

A man equipped pinch 2 knives was changeable and killed by constabulary officers connected Tuesday adjacent nan tract of nan 2024 Republican National Convention successful Milwaukee, Wisc., arsenic unit continues to travel nan U.S. statesmanlike run trail.

The RNC kicked disconnected connected Monday, 2 days aft a gunman opened occurrence connected erstwhile president Donald Trump astatine a play rally successful Pennsylvania. Trump appeared earlier nan crowd connected nan first nighttime of nan RNC pinch a bandage complete his correct ear, wherever he was struck by a slug Saturday during nan effort connected his life.

On nan 2nd time of nan four-day convention, a skirmish connected nan outskirts of nan RNC grounds near a 43-year-old man dormant aft he charged astatine an unarmed personification while carrying a weapon successful each hand, nan Milwaukee Police Department said.

The knife-wielding man was changeable dormant by out-of-state officers from nan Columbus Division of Police successful Ohio who were called up to Milwaukee to supply further information for nan RNC.

The shooting has angered immoderate section residents who judge nan altercation could person been deescalated had section constabulary been present. A relative and others identified nan man killed arsenic 43-year-old Samuel Sharpe, who was bum and surviving successful a shelter encampment adjacent nan tract of nan shooting.

Body camera footage released by constabulary show a ample group of Columbus constabulary officers successful a circle being briefed connected information matters successful their assigned area erstwhile 1 tin beryllium heard saying, “He’s sewage a knife.”

The camera turns to show an altercation betwixt 2 individuals astatine nan separator of nan parking batch wherever nan group of 13 constabulary officers were gathered.

“Hey stop!” 1 serviceman yelled.

“Drop nan knife!” nan group of officers tin beryllium heard many times yelling arsenic they ran over.

When nan equipped man continued to move toward nan unarmed man, constabulary fired their weapons galore times and nan fishy fell to nan ground.

Five Columbus officers discharged their weapons, Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said astatine a news conference. Two knives were recovered from nan scene.

“Someone’s life was successful danger,” Norman said. “These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to enactment and prevention someone’s life today.”

The Milwaukee constabulary connection adds that nan officers “identified themselves arsenic constabulary officers and made respective commands to nan fishy to driblet nan knife.”

“The taxable refused these commands.”

The shooting has fuelled anger from section residents, disappointment by nan actions of nan out-of-state officers. Body camera footage showed that nan group of constabulary officers appeared to beryllium very adjacent to nan equipped man erstwhile they fired their weapons, raising questions astir whether nan usage of deadly unit could person been avoided.

Residents besides questioned why Columbus officers were successful their neighbourhood to statesman with. The shooting took spot connected nan 1400 artifact of W. Vliet Street, which is astir 1.2 kilometres distant from nan Fiserv Forum, wherever nan RNC is being held.

The Columbus Division of Police wrote successful a statement that nan “incident took spot successful nan outer perimeter of nan RNC, wrong nan operational area to which our officers were assigned.”

“They came into our organization and changeable down our family correct present astatine a nationalist park,” said Linda Sharpe, a relative of nan man who was killed. “What are you doing successful our city, shooting group down?”

Linda Sharpe said her relative lived successful a shelter encampment crossed nan thoroughfare from King Park, wherever nan shooting occurred.

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Residents said nan encampment was a long-standing characteristic of nan neighbourhood, which is location to respective societal work clinics and a shelter. Some said Milwaukee constabulary officers are acquainted pinch galore of those surviving successful nan tents and mightiness person been capable to deescalate nan situation.

David Porter, who said he knew Samuel Sharpe and is besides homeless, was angry that officers from extracurricular of Milwaukee were successful his neighbourhood.

“If MPD would person been there, that man would still beryllium live correct now,” Porter said, referring to Milwaukee police.

Milwaukee residents and activists quickly converged connected nan tract of nan shooting, galore of them expressing outrage astir nan engagement of an extracurricular constabulary section successful municipality because of nan convention.

About 100 group held a vigil and serene march connected Tuesday night, pausing for a infinitesimal of soundlessness astatine nan blood-stained spot wherever Sharpe was killed.

Norman, nan Milwaukee constabulary chief, defended nan actions of nan Columbus officers, stating that they only fired aft nan equipped man ignored aggregate constabulary commands.

“This is simply a business wherever somebody’s life was successful contiguous danger,” Norman said.

The investigation into nan incident is “fluid and ongoing,” Milwaukee constabulary say. The Greenfield Police Department is nan lead rule enforcement agency investigating nan decease and will beryllium assisted by nan Milwaukee Area Investigative Team.

The Columbus Division of Police, arsenic good arsenic nan main of unit for Milwaukee’s politician and a spokesperson for nan convention’s associated bid centre, each said location was thing to propose nan shooting was related to nan normal itself.

According to nan U.S. Department of Justice, rule enforcement officers may usage deadly unit only erstwhile necessary.

“(T)hat is, erstwhile nan serviceman has a reasonable belief that nan taxable of specified unit poses an imminent threat of decease aliases superior beingness wounded to nan serviceman aliases to different person.”

— pinch files from The Associated Press