A fatal police shooting in Wisconsin has sparked new waves of protests and anger in the community after video shared online showed the moment cops “executed” a suspect in the middle of a busy street in broad daylight.
Footage shows four cops on Wednesday working to subdue a suspect as bystanders film the encounter in the state capital of Madison. The officers surround the man as he struggles to break free. While they have him by the arms and on the ground, one cop pulls out his gun and shoots the victim dead before reholstering his weapon and an officer puts the victim’s limp arms behind his body to handcuff him.
“This was an execution, and it never should have happened,” said Fran Hong, a Democratic state representative running for governor.
However, police stressed the incident remains under investigation and have begged the community not to jump to conclusions based on the video.
The latest in questionable police shootings in the U.S. has sparked a new wave of protests with hundreds marching on the Capitol chanting, “Arrest the cops!” They later took over the stage at a downtown summer concert to draw attention to the killing, prompting the organizers to cancel the performance underway.
Here is everything we know about the case:
Bystanders shared disturbing footage of the moment officers wrestled the victim to the ground before one of them shot him at close range. The violence unfolded Wednesday afternoon at the busy intersection of Madison’s South Baldwin and Williamson Streets around 1:34 p.m., an area surrounded by homes, bars, restaurants and shops.
The graphic video showed the man, who police said was armed with a knife, being pinned to the ground by four officers after a pursuit on foot.
A “physical struggle” ensued as the man managed to briefly stand up while in the grip of the officers, before one of them yelled, “Taser, Taser Taser” and pointed the weapon at him. The Taser failed to discharge, police said.
Officers wrestled the man back down to the ground while one of them appeared to step on his leg to keep him on the floor. Less than a second later, one of the officers pulled out his gun, pointed it at the victim, and fired three shots.
The victim was slumped on the ground and did not appear to move again.
A bystander’s screams were then heard nearby, as a woman yelled, “I saw everything, we watched it all.”
With the victim limp and face down on the ground, blood pouring from his head, the officer who shot him reholstered his weapon and then his placed the man’s hands behind his back as though to restrain him. Another officer removed the knife, throwing it to the side.
Two other officers were seen standing around the scene, before police put on gloves and appeared to administer first aid.
The victim was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Madison Police Chief John Patterson appealed for calm at a press conference in the aftermath, recounting the official narrative and pointing out that video of the shooting seen online only offered one side of the story.
Patterson also explained that Madison police officers do not wear body cameras, so there is no bodycam footage of the shooting.
In a statement, the department said officers were responding to a report alleging that someone had been seen attempting to break into parked cars in the city’s Marquette neighborhood.
The officers pursued the man, who was on a bicycle. “The man either fell or was pulled off the bicycle, this is still being determined, and a struggle ensued with officers in the middle of the intersection,” the statement said.
“During the struggle, the man pulled out a fix-blade knife and injured an officer. Officers continued to try to get the man into custody and a less lethal device, a taser, was used but it was unsuccessful.”
“The officer injured by the knife is the one who fired his weapon,” the statement continued. “Officers at the scene provided life-saving measures.”
A second officer was injured in the incident but police have not said how, only that they do not believe his wound was caused by the knife.
The four officers involved have since been placed on administrative leave according to procedure and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation has commenced an independent probe.
The name of the man fatally shot by the officer has not been released by the authorities but police said he was in his 30s.
His race has not been disclosed by officials but Black advocacy groups in Madison said they believed he was Black, as they denounced the violence.
