MILWAUKEE – A knife-wielding man has been killed by a police officer on duty in Columbus, Ohio. Republican National Convention– the officials said.
The Milwaukee County medical examiner’s office said the afternoon shooting happened near King Park. Police said it was not related to any activity at the convention.
The county agency responded to the fatality at the intersection outside the park, he said. Officials have not released the identity of the person killed. According to the medical examiner’s opinion, an autopsy was expected on Wednesday.
The incident happened about 1 mile from the convention center in a residential neighborhood that includes a large homeless encampment.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey B. Norman said 13 Columbus bike officers assigned to cover day-to-day events related to the convention were in the neighborhood Tuesday discussing security plans for the day.
Shortly after 1:00 p.m., a standoff between two men, one armed with a knife and the other unarmed, broke out near Columbus officers, the chief said at an evening press conference.
Norman said officers rushed to intervene and several of them opened fire after the gunman disobeyed commands to drop the knives and then attacked the other man.
He was not sure how many officers fired their guns. The officers who responded to the initial dispute were all from Columbus, he said. According to him, two knives were found.
Milwaukee police released body camera footage of the shooting Tuesday evening.
Columbus officers were standing in a group discussing the convention when one apparently saw the two men, the video shows. “They are fighting,” says the unnamed officer.
When officers turn their attention to the two, one says, “He’s got a knife.”
Officers can be heard shouting at them before speeding towards them. Some can be heard shouting “drop the knife”.
Body camera footage shows the officer pointing his gun at the couple. One of the men appears to be holding something in his right hand as at least one officer yells again, “Drop the knife now.”
Instead, the man with the object moves towards the other man, prompting the police to open fire.
The chief claimed that the shooting not only seemed justified, but could save the life of the other party in the dispute.
“This is a situation where someone’s life is in immediate danger,” Norman said.
The chief described the deceased only as a 43-year-old man. He said the outside police department is investigating the officers’ use of deadly force, and body camera video of the incident will be released in accordance with Milwaukee police policy.
Columbus was among a number of cities that sent law enforcement resources to help during the convention.
Both the Columbus Police Department and the Columbus Fraternal Order of Police, the union that represents the city’s rank-and-file officers, said in separate statements that they were aware of the officer-involved shooting of Columbus officers in Milwaukee to assist with safety. during the convention.
This was reported by Columbus police incident happened “On the outer perimeter of the RNC, within the operational zone where our officers are assigned.”
No officers were injured Fraternal order of the police he said.
Some city activists opposed to Milwaukee hosting the convention were outraged by the shooting, which they said at a news conference in a park named after civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in a community already struggling to survive.
“We’re not even two days into the RNC and we already have a loss,” said Alan Chavoy of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression.
He continued, “How is that possible?”
An affiliated group called the Coalition at the RNC, which opposes bringing in outside police to the city, said what it described as a “murder” could have been prevented.
“Today’s event is something Black and brown communities have been predicting since the RNC was announced for Milwaukee,” the coalition said. “It is painful to say that these predictions have come true.”
Domino Williams, information officer for the Milwaukee chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, told the group in an interview that local authorities will “ensure the best behavior of out-of-town police.”
“We were assured that the out-of-towners were here for the safety of the event attendees,” he said. “It’s really heartwarming.”
two witnesses told reporters The victim was a homeless man who was shot while trying to run from the police.
Witnesses Christina Kugler and Mark Walker said they did not see what happened before the confrontation. They said several officers opened fire.
Security video of the confrontation, confirmed by NBC News, shows a man walking down the street as several officers approach. It was unclear what happened before the police and the man entered the camera.
As a vigil for the victim was held nearby, four candles were lit in honor of the deceased at the site where he was shot. Community members also blocked off the section of the street where he fell.
Alice Taylor stood at the makeshift memorial and wept. He said that the man lives in the tent next to him and often sees him playing with his dog.
“It was senseless that this happened,” he said, criticizing the shooters. “We are homeless. This is our park. Why were they here?’
Monday, former President Donald TrumpThe Republican presidential candidate appeared at the convention in several adjacent downtown locations, including the Fiserv Forum and the Wisconsin Central District.
His appearance is one after the other attempted assassination At a political rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, he said he was shot in the ear.