Ohio police officers fatally shoot armed man near RNC
Five Columbus, Ohio police officers shot and killed an armed man near downtown Milwaukee on Tuesday afternoon, according to Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman. The incident took place near North 14th and West Vliet Streets, less than a mile from the Republican National Convention’s security perimeter.
Milwaukee police were not involved in the shooting. Thirteen Columbus officers were in the area for a briefing when they observed an altercation between two individuals, one wielding knives in both hands. Despite orders to drop the knives, the man charged at the other person, prompting the officers to open fire, Norman reported.
Body camera footage showed the man, identified later as Samuel Sharpe Jr., lunging with the knives. Two knives were recovered at the scene. Norman defended the actions of the out-of-state officers, stating they acted to save a life. The Milwaukee Area Investigative Team, led by the Greenfield Police Department, is investigating the incident.
The confrontation lasted 15 seconds from the time officers noticed the armed man to when they fired. Sharpe, known as Jehovah in the neighborhood, lived in a tent encampment and was recognized for walking his pit bull and carrying a Bible. Several witnesses expressed disbelief and sorrow over his death.
Some community members and activists criticized the involvement of non-Milwaukee police officers, arguing local officers might have handled the situation differently. Milwaukee officials had previously stated that outside officers would handle non-public-facing duties, but the Ohio officers were in their assigned zone for potential demonstration response when the incident occurred. Milwaukee Alderman Robert Bauman and others raised concerns about out-of-state officers being unfamiliar with local areas and populations. Despite the agreement for outside officers to follow Milwaukee Police Department protocols, there is scrutiny over their actions and the incident’s implications for future policing in the area.