Police fatally shoot man in Wisconsin who officials say was armed with knife
(CNN) — A man was shot and killed in a struggle with police officers in Madison, Wisconsin, after officials say he pulled out a knife and injured an officer – a confrontation that is being investigated by the state and has sparked outcry from protesters.
Police had received a report of a person allegedly checking parked vehicles Wednesday afternoon and arrived to find a man, described as being in his 30s, Madison Police Chief John Patterson said during a news conference Wednesday.
Officers tried to make contact with him, but he fled on his bicycle through nearby backyards, according to police.
Officers found the man again less than two miles from the state Capitol and “a physical struggle ensued,” Patterson said. The man pulled out a fixed-blade knife and injured one officer, described as a “veteran officer,” as they attempted to arrest him, the chief added.
Bystander video filmed from a nearby car shows officers on the ground at an intersection, struggling with a man who is then pulled up to his feet. One officer appears to have deployed a Taser as the man falls to the ground again and is kicked by another officer as a third holds him down with his knee.
A fourth officer then fires his gun at the man at close range. Three gunshots are heard as the man stops moving, the video shows. It’s not clear what happened before the video began.
Officers had deployed a Taser, but it was “not effective,” Patterson said. The officer who had been injured by the knife fired his weapon, striking the man and causing life-threatening injuries. The man – who has not been publicly identified – was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
None of the officers involved were wearing body cameras, according to the police chief, adding the department does not have “any broad deployment of body cameras in Madison, unfortunately.”
As footage of the incident circulates on social media, Patterson said the footage is just one perspective of the encounter. He added that the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation — which is independently leading the investigation — will review all footage posted online or submitted directly to the agency to assess the situation.
Authorities are also investigating whether the man fell from his bicycle or was physically removed by officers when they encountered him near the intersection of Williamson and South Baldwin streets on the city’s Near East Side, the police chief said.
A second officer was injured in the incident, though Patterson said it’s unclear how the injury occurred. He added authorities don’t believe the injury was caused by the man’s knife.
All four officers involved have been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation, Patterson said.
CNN reached out to the Madison Police Department for additional information and was referred back to an incident report.
Patterson started Wednesday’s press conference by acknowledging the shooting was a traumatic incident that “has occurred in a neighborhood that has experienced a lot of trauma in the past.”
On the same street in 2015, a White police officer shot and killed an unarmed, biracial 19-year-old, Tony Robinson, leading to major protests. The race of the victim and the officer from Wednesday’s shooting have not been disclosed.
Black community and social activist groups have condemned the latest killing, as peaceful protesters gathered Wednesday in Madison, chanting “No justice, no peace.”
In a statement expressing her condolences, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said the state would be conducting an independent probe.
“I understand the anger, grief, and fear people are feeling — because I am feeling that too. As a city, as a community, as a society, we need to do better,” Rhodes-Conway wrote. “Any officer-involved shooting needs to be rigorously investigated, and this one will be. While we do not yet know all the details, our community deserves full transparency and accountability.”
On Wednesday evening, people gathered at the site where the man was shot to hold a vigil with flowers and candles.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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