(Milwaukee) Ohio police officers in Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention shot and killed a Milwaukee man Tuesday, fueling anger among residents who questioned why foreign agents were in their neighborhood.
The man was shot by officers with the Columbus, Ohio, police department, according to a statement from that city’s police division. Thousands of officers from multiple jurisdictions are in Milwaukee to provide extra security for the convention, which began Monday and ends Thursday.
The Columbus Police Department, as well as the Milwaukee mayor’s chief of staff and a spokeswoman for the convention’s Joint Command Center, all said there was no evidence to suggest the shooting was connected to the convention itself.
Milwaukee residents and activists quickly converged on the scene of the shooting, many expressing outrage at the involvement of a foreign police agency because of the convention. Dozens of police officers stood behind tape at the scene, refusing to answer questions about what happened.
“They came into our community and shot our family member right here in a public park,” said Linda Sharpe, a cousin of the slain man. “What are you doing in our town, shooting people?”
PHOTO CARLOS BARRIA, REUTERS
Linda Sharpe calls out to officers after learning her cousin was shot by police
Mme Sharpe said her cousin, whom she identified as Samuel Sharpe, lived in a tent encampment across from King Park, where the shooting occurred.
Neighbors testified that the man was well known among neighborhood residents and others living in and near the encampment.
Kenneth Johnson, a volunteer with Friends Without Shelter, said he often dropped off food to the man and others living in the tents – and wondered what a foreign officer had been doing there.
“They should not have jurisdiction to be in this area,” Johnson said. “These are tent communities here, they should not be here.”
In a statement, the Columbus Police Department said the shooting occurred “within the operational area to which our officers were assigned.”
The Columbus Police Department has garnered attention for its special unit deployed to Milwaukee, which works to improve police-community relations. That unit played a visible role in guiding Monday’s protests, which passed without incident.
PHOTO ADREES LATIF, REUTERS
The shooting happened near a homeless encampment
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 confirmed that an adult male was shot and killed. An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.
The Milwaukee Police Department did not respond to an email requesting further details about the shooting Tuesday.